Hook up Time
by OnepirateforPeace
Summary: This story is about a woman, who doesn't believe in dreams and hates pirates. What'll happen when she meets the Straw Hat Pirates and their companion? Who's the companion? Find it out! OC's included. Cover Image's provisorily.
1. Prolog

Dear readers

At first the most important part **the Disclaimer**: I don't own anything from the **One Piece** universe of **Eiichiro** **Oda**. All I put in the story of One piece are my Idea for this fan fiction and some own Characters.

Secondly I put a lot of effort in this story and I hope you'll notice it. Although I'm not a native speaker, I think the writing is not bad at all. But nobody is perfect, so please don't be too disturbed about some flaws in it. Don't hesitate to say what I can improve. I appreciate reviews and especially constructive critics.

Befor I Introduce you to my fan fiction a special thanks to Hiya who did the prove read for me, thank you so much!

Now without further ceremony let's move on to:

_**Hook up Time**_

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><p><em>Prolog<em>

It was a sunny day on the GrandLine, where the Flying Lamb sailed peacefully. The crew members of the Straw Hat Pirates went through their normal activities: Luffy was sitting on his favorite spot the lamb head, staring wide-eyed and grinning at the ocean in front of him; Zoro was taking a nap below Nami's orange trees; Nami was sitting in the girls' room finishing her newest map; Usopp was sitting in the crow's nest, working on his ammunitions; Sanji was cleaning up the dishes, while he dreamed of his ardently loved Nami-swan and Robin-chan; Chopper was sitting on the flour, reading a medical book; and Robin was lying in a canvas chair reading one of her books.

Everything had been calm and only the ocean was heard, this kind of silence had been very rare. Suddenly, Luffy jumped down from the lamb head and took a deep breath, before he screamed out of the top of his lungs: " HUNGRY!" Luffy ran to the kitchen, opened the door and yelled: "SANJI! HUNGRY!" Luffy saw Sanji, who obviously heard his Captain, stood silent next to an empty potato bag. "Sanji, I'm so hungry, could you roast me a steak?" Luffy whined and Sanji glared at him.

"How am I supposed to do that?" Sanji asked calmly, trying to hold back his anger, "our supplies are all gone, somehow they just disappeared" Sanji said sarcastically.

"How did that happened?" Luffy asked absent-mindedly.

"Guess what? You ate them all by yourself! And we don't have any lures either!" Sanji answered his own rhetorical question, still glaring at Luffy, "There's no way I can cook anything without supplies!"

Without losing any time Luffy turned around and ran away, leaving a bad-tempered chef behind, who could hear his Captain yelling after their sharpshooter.  
>"Usopp, all our supplies are gone and I'm starving! Is there an island around here where we can get food?" Luffy asked.<p>

"Oh no, not again! Well, why am I even shocked? It's the usual circumstance…" Usopp grumbled, before he got up on his feet and looked through his binocular glasses he always wore on his head. He looked out every direction, before he yelled to Luffy, "At the moment there is nothing in sight!"

"I'm so hungry! Just tell me when there's an Island in sight!" shouted back an overacting Luffy as he stretched his arms out, to show how hungry he was.

"Aye Aye, Capt'n!" Usopp replied.

"According to my and Robin's calculations, the next island should soon be seen …" Nami explained vexed, after coming on deck to check on all the noise "NOW CUT IT OUT, AND SHUT UP!" She scolded loudly, before she went back to her room.

"Awesome!" said Luffy in his thrilled manner and ran back to his favorite spot, so he could see when the Island would show up, he had even forgotten about his hunger.

Four hours passed by, and just when Luffy wanted to go ask Nami when they would reach the next Island, Zoro woke up because of Usopp's cry "THERE'S THE ISLAND!"

Robin and Chopper put away their books and Nami came out of her room. Luffy shouted out loudly,"LETS GO TO A NEW ADVENTURE!"

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><p>Hope you had fun by reading the prolog!<p>

I would be very glade, if you could leave a review.


	2. Chapter 1: Reunion with Ace

Hi guys

Is someone reading the story? Doesn't matter I will continue it anyway; I just take more time for it. But I would be thankful if someone would review my fan fiction, to tell me about my grammar issues, what I can improve about it, and of course their thoughts about the story.

so, now that nobody is complaining about the grammar thus far let's continue the story.

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><p><em>Chapter 1: Reunion with Ace<em>

As soon as the Flying Lamb anchored at a port of the island the Straw Hat Pirates left the ship. Only Robin paused at the guard rail to look around. "Hey Robin! Hurry up or we'll lose Luffy!" Nami yelled up from the footbridge to her friend, while Luffy headed eagerly towards the small town, in search of a restaurant.

The others followed their Captain, to make sure he wouldn't get into trouble, but there was barley anything he could do. The road they were walking was deserted. Every time Luffy saw a restaurant he went enthusiastically towards it, only to see that it was closed down and he walked dolefully ahead. When the group passed by some empty sales booths Usopp stammered frightened, "l…looks like this i…is a g…ghost town."

They finally entered an open restaurant at the town center, where Luffy immediately ran to the counter. "Sorry boy, just one plate per person." Responded the innkeeper after Luffy ordered the entire menu card.

"WHAT! JUST ONE PLATE PER PERSON!?" Screamed Luffy puzzled.

Usopp ran to his Captain and asked: "Why can't we order more than one plate?"

"Nami… it would be better if we didn't act too perceptible… we're not the only pirates in here…" Robin whispered monitory to her friend, after she noticed a man with a well-known tattoo on his back, sleeping bent-forward over his half emptied plate.

Nami's eyes followed Robin's gaze and when she recognized the man, she called, "Hey Luffy! Look there is your brother."

"What? Where?" Luffy asked bemused and looked around confused.

"That there is Ace, isn't he?" Nami pointed to the sleeping man at the table, close to the group.

Luffy ran to the table and while he was bending towards the man, he shouted out, "OI ACE!"

By Luffy's second shout he got the attention of every visitor in the restaurant while Ace was slowly waking up, "Luffy? What the heck are you doin' here…?" Ace mumbled still dozy as he lifted his face out of the plate and stared up at his brother's wide grin.

"We have to restock" Sanji answered while Luffy just kept smiling at his older brother, "And what are you doing here, aren't you pursuing that guy called Blackbeard?" Sanji wondered.

"Actually I'm right after his trail, but he just slipped through my fingers. I had hoped that he would stay longer on his home island. However now I have to wait 'till the Log Pose sets itself to the next island…" Ace explained immediately wide awake, "Do you have a new crew member?" he asked after he realized the latest crew member standing between Nami and Chopper.

"My name is Nico Robin, nice to meet you." Robin introduced herself calmly.

"It's not easy with my little bro, isn't it?" asserted Ace while Luffy had turned around again to the innkeeper and grizzled like a child, 'Why just one plate for each person?'

"Not really…" answered Robin offering an offish smile, while the other crew members just shook their heads embarrassed about their Captain's lack of concentration.

"The reason is simple, we have to get along without any fish the rest of this month, because that pirate Blackbeard sunk all our ships four days ago !" said a grumpy older woman, sitting on a table in the corner of this restaurant.

"Why don't you bridge the time with vegetables you planted and the cattle?" Usopp asked.

"Listen, it's that easy? Why didn't we come to this conclusion by ourselves?" asked a young man at the counter sarcastically, "Oh wait… maybe 'cause the land is so dead that we can't plant anything for our own supplies and resources, not to mention that there is no food for the cattle!"

"NO NEED TO BE SO SNOTTY!" Usopp yelled offended.

"He's right, even you should see that they're travelers, so they don't know about our situation!" Said a teenager girl, who was sitting next to the grumpy old woman, "So stop being rude to them, or should I bring my father in?"  
>The young man grumbled but was afterwards quiet. "How did you manage to survive? It's almost impossible to live only on fish." Chopper asked.<p>

"All towns on this island are subsidized from the capital city, Selvanio. They are monthly supplied with an average amount of drinkable water, meet, rice, vegetables and wood. In order to do that, the towns which are located at the waterside have to provide the capital with fish. We always had enough to eat even when we gave half of our fishing up to the capital, but like this…" The same older, grumpy woman from before, explained.

"And how do we get to Sevanio?" Luffy asked.

"You mean Selvanio" Nami corrected her Captain.

"Oi Nami, I mean the capital city, I just want to get some food… I don't care about Selvanio…" Luffy 'explained' to Nami.  
>Nami grabbed on Luffy's face and pulled on his left cheek, while she mumbling, ashamed, "You'd be so damn lost without us…"<p>

"You really want to go there, Eh? It is quite a dangerous journey to get there. " The innkeeper said.

"I'M OUT, I DON'T WANNA GO THERE!" Usopp screamed anxious.

"Finally, a new adventure!" Zoro smiled pugnacious.

"Well, if you are sure… the capital city is pretty much in the middle of the island. The problem is, you have to go through the desert which is full of monstrous creatures. You'll have to follow the main road till you reach the dessert. After two days walking you will reach a forest. Then it gets even trickier… you will need a South-Bird to find Selvanio. You'll maybe find one in the forest, if you are lucky. You have to walk northwest to find the city walls." said the innkeeper after which Sanji went to him to ask for some provisions.

"How about building two groups, one that goes to Selvanio and one that stays here to watch for the safety of the town?" Usopp tried to get out of the affair.

"Wow Usopp you're so brave, I wanna stay with Usopp and protect the town!" Chopper said In his naïve way of thinking, Usopp is a hero.

Robin giggled, she was curious to see if Usopp would manage to cheat out of this one. In that moment when Nami wanted to join Usopp and Chopper the teenage girl, who had walked to her, asked, "Would you be so kind and bring some food and provisions to us as well? My father is the mayor of this town and I am sure, he would reward you for your efforts."

"Of course, why not… we're glad, we can help." Nami answered with Berry-signs in her eyes. She imagined how she would count the money, once they brought some supplies to this town, "Usopp, you won't sneak out of this situation! We'll all go together, bring them some food and provisions and get the reward!" Nami said keenly.

"Money-grubbing Bitch…" Zoro mumbled irritated.

"HOW DARE YOU TO INSULT MY BEL-!" Sanji started shouting at Zoro, but he couldn't get any further, because Nami already gave him and Zoro a few clouts, which knocked them both out for a few seconds.

"Okay people it's decided, let's go! Will you join us too, Ace?" Luffy asked Ace, who was amused by watching the scene.

"No, I have to chase after Blackbeard and give him his punishment!" explained Ace gravely while he looked on his Logpost, "Perfect! The Log Pose is already set! It was nice to see you Luffy!"

"But wait! We didn't have anytime to chat!" said Luffy, "We'll come with you to the port!"

"I'm up for that!" said Ace with a grin; he sure was glade to spend some time with his little brother.

On the way to the port, while Luffy excitedly narrated for Ace the adventure of Sky Island, Robin asked Nami,"Isn't this the same way we came from?"

"Yes, it's the same, why are you asking?"

"There were no other ships or boats at the port…" Robin answered.

"Really? I didn't pay attention to that. ", Said Nami, "Well, Ace has a special boat, which you probably didn't notice, you'll see it soon."

"WHAT THE HECK! WERE'S MY STRIKER!?" Ace yelled furiously when they arrived at the port and Ace couldn't find his dinghy.

"Are you sure you left it here?" Luffy asked exigent.

"I'm not you, Luffy!" Ace retorted irritated.

"He's got a point…" Nami, Usopp and Sanji mumbled.

Ace placed his hand on his hat. "Oh man!"

"What's wrong?" Zoro asked.

"You remember when I said that this is Blackbeard's home island? The guy who told me about that wanted to buy my Striker." Ace replied.

"What's your point?" asked Luffy with a serious face, picking his nose with his little finger.

Nami let out a frustrated breath, "Come on. We'll explain it to you on the way," while she pushed him to the Flying Lamb, to get some cloths for the desert.

When Luffy saw his brother, dressed in his coat and waiting at the footbridge, after he and his crew mates came down the ship, he asked: "Are you coming with us after all?"

"Looks like I have no other choice; it's the fastest way to get away from this island!" Ace explained why he had changed his mind, "But I accompany your crew only 'til I get another boat."

And so the group hit the road.

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><p>After a few hours wandering in the heat, Luffy and Usopp's stomachs started to growl loudly. "I'm so hungry!" Luffy complained.<p>

"Me too, and I can't bear this heat anymore!" added Usopp.

"You should be thankful! At least you don't have a fur like me" Chopper said exhausted while he was carried around by Zoro.

"SHUT UP! You don't have to walk anyway!" Usopp yelled unsatisfied.

"BUT IT'S STILL HOT AS HELL!" Chopper retorted loudly.

"STOP SCREAMING IN MY EAR, OR YOU CAN WALK!" yelled Zoro.

"You shouldn't deplete your energy shouting at each other!" Robin said mature.

A few minutes later Luffy said again, "I'm so hungry…"

"Well, let's make a break at the next group of rocks and have some lunch…" Sanji proposed weary, the heat was getting to his head.

"Yes! Usopp, where are the next rocks?" Luffy asked thrilled.

Usopp pulled his binocular glasses over his eyes and looked in one direction; "Nothing but sand…", he turned around and said again, "Nothing, but sand…" he turned over, "Nothing but sand… and a woman, who's in trouble" Usopp said, but before he could turn, Sanji snatch the binocular glasses off Usopp's head and looked through them, salivating, in the same direction.

"A WOMAN, WHERE!?" Sanji said thrilled, "I don't see a woman! All I see is a bunch of desert thieves!" he continued unsatisfied.

"Then look more carefully or even better… GIVE ME MY BINOCULARS BACK!" yelled Usopp madly.

"Oh now I see, I guess, but as much as I can figure out this is a dude… no girl can fight like that…" Sanji said vain and threw the binocular glasses back in Usopp's direction.

The glasses flew over Usopp's head and he ran after them, but he stumbled and fell lengthwise on his face in the sand.  
>Nami caught the binocular glasses deftly and watched through it, before she said, "Sanji, I think the heat isn't doing you any good… it's definitely a girl…" and passed the binocular glasses over to Usopp.<p>

Luffy, who didn't follow the conversation (as usual when he was hungry) suddenly saw the dust clouds "JUHUU A FIGHT!" All the others could see left of him was a dust trail, which went in direction of the fight.

"Does his brain really always have to work on low flame?" Nami asked irritated while Zoro let Chopper down on the ground.

Afterwards Zoro, Sanji and Ace ran ahead after Luffy while Nami, Usopp and Robin, who carried Chopper with her Devil Fruit Powers, followed them.

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><p>Hope you had fun by reading this chapter!<p>

I would be glade for some reviews.


	3. Chapter 2: A strange young woman part 1

Hi guys

I think I made an error; I rated the story by mistake by T but it should be M, because there will come some violent and bloody scenes in this and other chapters, which are maybe not appropriated for teens, I apologize!  
>I hope you will understand the next chapters; I had some trouble to translate it, because on one hand I couldn't find all attacks in the English version of One Piece I wanted too, and on the other hand it is pretty hard to translate a fighting scene.<p>

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><p><em>Chapter 2: A strange young woman part 1<em>

While the group of pirates was wandering through the desert, a young, sun-darkened woman was already fighting doggedly against the desert thieves. The long blond hair of the young woman, which was done in a tight pony-tail, was blowing in the air, while she swerved swiftly the fists and saber cuts from her opponents. Again and again the woman knocked her opponents down, until suddenly one thief she just punched to the ground, grasped her legs. That was the desert thieves' opportunity and so the four men who were still standing, ran towards her trying to overwhelm her. However the woman managed to kick the man who was holding her legs, while she parried some of the attacks of the four men. The woman stepped with one foot backwards and jumped in the air to turn a double stretched somersault. While she was above the thieves she hit some of their faces as they watched her, before she pushed herself with her hand from the ground up to bring some distance between herself and her opponents."Well, you might use some good tricks, but you won't get away with our plunder when I call for our allies!" yelled the leader of the desert thieves while pulling out a horn.

The woman ran over to the leader and kicked the horn out of his hand, before he could blow it. "In fact, I'm the one who should be upset, because you stole my bag!" the women said angrily while she glared with her dark blue eyes at him, "so stop being a coward!"

"Nobody calls me a coward!" yelled the leader grimy and tried to hit the woman, but she swerved and performed a tornado kick, which let him fly towards the horn.

Meanwhile some of the desert thieves, who had been lying on the ground, stood up again and attacked her. The leader blew the horn, while she knocked some more of his companions down. The woman parried and dealt blows while she took some hits as well, but in the end she defeated her opponents. The woman was just about to turn around when suddenly a blade went through her trunk; she sank down on one knee, before she turned around. The leader had thrown a saber at her. She glared at him, when her right hand gripped at the hilt of the sabber, pulled it out and threw it back at the sender. The saber stabbed the leader through his chest and he fell to the ground. The woman looked around to make sure no one would attack her again before she slowly went towards the leader and bent over him before she closed his eyes and took away the bag from him. Suddenly the alias from the desert thieves showed up and surrounded the woman, who slowly stood up. "Did you just assassinate our comrades, or are you just a dirty little thief?" one of the desert thieves asked hostilely.

"None of both…" The woman said distantly while putting one hand against her still bleeding wound where the saber came out, "I stabbed only this guy here," She icily continued, pointing at the dead leader, "The others are just unconscious…"

"Attack her!" yelled the thieves while they charged screaming towards the woman.

While she was swerving the attacks of the desert thieves Usopp was having a cow because of his binocular glasses. The woman stepped aside and knocked two heads of her opponents together, these two were trying to attack her from two sides; afterwards she pushed someone else away from her. One of the desert thieves boxed the woman in the back and she fell forwards to the ground. The woman pushed herself with her hands away from the ground and hooked her feet to the chin of the one who boxed her right above her wound. The woman turned around and said harsh: "if somebody hits me from behind, he gets only one warning!"

Suddenly from far away a cry out was heard, "but stab me and you won't see another day!" said the woman dead earnest.

The desert thief looked panicked towards the woman, while he crawled away from her before suddenly another desert thief stabbed her from behind. This time the attack made impact and the woman fell to the ground after the saber was pulled out by herself. All a sudden the earth jolted, before a huge Sandora-Dragon rose out of the sand. All the desert thieves looked in panic up to the gigantic Sandora-Dragon, before the ones who were still able to walk ran away, while carrying some of their companions with them. The woman breathed deeply, before she bestirred up to her feet and made herself ready for another fight. But then it already had come to pass; the tongue of the Sandora-Dragon looped around of the woman's leg and started to pull her into its jaw. At First the woman struggled to find something to hold on to in the sand, but she realized quickly that this wouldn't work, so she decided to use the dagger which was strapped on her free leg. The woman pulled of the sheath from the dagger with a crocked blade and she cut the tongue of the Sandora-Dragon off.

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><p>"Luffy wait a second!" yelled Sanji.<p>

Luffy looked a little confused around when he stopped.

Ace reached Luffy first and a few seconds later Zoro and then Sanji caught up too. "Ha ha you brought up the caboose" Zoro teased Sanji, who was breathing deeply.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP! I WATCHED SO YOU WOULDN'T GET LOST, YOU MORON!" Sanji defended himself screamingly, because he has had to explain the way to Zoro twice, after the swordsman ran in the wrong direction.

But before Sanji and Zoro could begin a trial of their strengths there was a big roar heard and the two companions changed into a more peaceable posture. "What was that?" Ace asked before Luffy hit the road again.

"Sounded like a Sandora-" Sanji started to speak calmly to Ace, but then he screamed upset when he remembered what Nami said before Luffy went absent from the group, "DRAGON!" and ran after Luffy.

"GUM GUM BATTLE AXE!" Luffy's voice was heard from the top of the hill and Zoro and Ace followed Sanji, after the sand quaked because of a rumbling.

"I'm coming to your rescue, my love!" Sanji yelled when he reached Luffy and looked around: many desert thieves were laying around the huge knocked out Sandora-Dragon.

Sanji tried to spot the young woman with the long blond hair covered in a brown short coat, then he turned to his captain and gripped on his shirt and started yelling, while he joggled Luffy back and forth: "DID YOU JUST BURY THE YOUNG LADY BENEATH THE SANDORA-DRAGON?"

"Well, there was a person under the huge lizard, when I stretched my arm in the air…" Luffy explained, thinking about it.

"HOW COULD YOU BE SO CARELESS AND NOT PULL HER FIRST AWAY!" Sanji screamed furiously.

"I'm sorry, but you know how I am, when I'm hungry!" said Luffy defending.

While Zoro was shaking his head about the dispute of his crew mates, something caught Ace' attention out of the corner of his eye, he turned his head and looked to the Sandora-Dragon, did it just move? Ace walked slowly towards the Sandora-Dragon and let his hand burn by using his Devil Fruit Power. Suddenly a woman pushed herself forth from beneath the knocked out Sandora-Dragon, before she fainted holding a dagger with blood-sodden blade in her hand.  
>Ace seemed a bit surprised and approached the woman, because no one else of the group seemed to bother. Ace stepped aside to the woman, he crouched down and asked composedly: "Oi, you! Are you still alive?"<p>

All a sudden the earth quaked again and another Sandora-Dragon appeared out of the sand, instantly Luffy and Sanji stopped disputing and Luffy and Zoro ran towards the Sandora-Dragon to attack it: Luffy starched his leg and swayed it towards the Sandora-Dragon to smash his foot on its head, while Zorro created with his swords a cyclone which cut the head of the Sandora-Dragon off: "GUM GUM DRAGON WIPH TWIST!"

While Zoro and Luffy finished the Sandora-Dragon off, Sanji noticed the woman lying on the ground and ran towards her and Ace, before he pulled her around on her back. "Oh my shining star you are the dream of my sleepless nights!" Sanji said yearningly while he thought about his vain vision: There was a blond young woman with ochre colored skin, standing in a white colored, strapless dress at a cliff, a fawn drawstring entwined her slender waist; she was looking to the ocean. Suddenly she turned around and smiled a beautiful smile, while her turquoise eyes were sparkling; her waist-length curly light hair blew in the Wind.

"Eh Sanji are you still on earth?" Ace asked with one lifted eyebrow while watching at the chef who stared goopy at the woman.

"Ah here you are" Luffy and Zoro said while walking up to Sanji and Ace.

"Who's that?" Luffy asked when he noticed the bleeding woman.

"No Idea… what should we do?" Ace asked Zoro, while Sanji was dancing around the woman.

"Of course we'll take her with us, Chopper will fix her and then she falls in love with me!" said Sanji still dancing around the woman.

"But who carries her? How about playing a game to see who's gonna carry her!" Luffy suggested.

"No, I wanna carry her!" Sanji said disappointed.

"Great Idea, Luffy!" Zoro encouraged Luffy, he would even play a stupid game, just to annoy the love-crazed ship cook.

"You stupid moron!" Sanji yelled upset.

"I'm the captain and I wanna play Rock-Paper-Scissors, the winner will carry the woman!" said Luffy and Sanji didn't have much of a choice, but to bow to the command. Zoro stood with a wide grin next to Luffy, "come on Ace! Don't be a poor sport!" said Luffy when he noticed that Ace stood a bit aside with crossed arms.

"Geez… for all I care…" Ace muttered and approached to the circle of Luffy, Zoro and Sanji.  
>Everybody hid their fists behind their backs and decided for themselves what they would show to the others. "Rock! Paper! Scissor!" the four men yelled and showed in the same moment their hands to the others.<p>

"Oh no! Why?" Sanji screamed in tears after he saw that he was out, because he showed Scissor and was smashed by Zoros' Rock, as well as Luffy who also chose Scissor, Ace choose Rock, too.

"If I have to carry that woman, you'll owe me a new coat, Luffy!" Ace said gravely while he and Zoro hid their hands behind their backs, "Rock! Paper! Scissor!" Again Zoro and Ace showed their hands after they decided what they would present.

"Yay… I'll get a new coat…" Ace muttered unenthusiastically, after he showed Paper while Zoro showed Rock again, while he went grimly to the blond woman.  
>Ace lifted the young woman into his arms and the group went back to Nami, Usopp, Chopper and Robin.<p>

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><p>When the two groups came across each other, Chopper instantly noticed, that the woman was losing a lot of blood. "Oh my Gosh that woman needs a doctor! She needs a doctor! Where is a doctor?" Chopper had his customary panic attack, "Oh right, I'm the doctor!" Chopper said after he realized the nonsense he was yelling and took his doctors' bag out of his backpack.<p>

`Oh my, those two look pretty cute together!` Nami thought, when she saw how Ace put the woman down in the sand. "Make way!" Chopper said now in his element to Sanji, who sat next to the woman and whined, while he pulled out a bandage and started to doctor the strange woman, after Ace dragged Sanji away.

"Oi Usopp, I'm still hungry, can you look for the next rocks?" Luffy said to his friend after his stomach growled again.

"Right over there!" Usopp said, after he spotted out a group of high rocks, with a raised hand.

"Alright guys, I'll take the food with me, see you at the rocks!" Luffy yelled enthusiastically while he grabbed the provisions and ran in the direction where Usopp pointed at.

Everybody stared after Luffy, who was already out of their sights. Just when Zoro, Usopp, Sanji and Ace wanted to follow Luffy, Nami, who stood behind Chopper, said sternly: "Hey Guys what are you thinking? We can't just leave the girl here?"

"Oh my kind-hearted Nami~Swan, you're so right!" Sanji swoon over by Nami's harsh comment.

"But who'll carry her?" Robin asked.

Sanji just came forward as a volunteer, when Zoro tripped him. "Oi you shitty swordsman, what was the point of that, you moron?"

"You know you lost at Rock-Paper-Scissor, you dumbass" Zoro argued.

"He doesn't want to carry her around, but I would love to." Sanji said, he would be content by carrying his latest love all the way through the desert. "You just don't grant me my luck, you goon!"

But before they could start a fight, Robin used her powers to stop them, while she said mature. "Calm down boys, when you power yourselves out, we'll leave you behind for the vultures."

"Stop being scary!" screamed Usopp and Chopper anxious.

While Zoro and Sanji started to argue Nami went to Ace and asked: "Did I get it right, all of you guys had played a game and that's why you were carrying that woman?"

"Yep, it was Luffy's idea and now he owes me a new coat." Ace explained indifferently.

`Luffy, you gonna pay for that by yourself!` Nami thought in the back of her mind, while she was smiling craftily. "In that case it's clear, gambling debts are honor debts, aren't they!"

"If you put it that way…" Ace said obeying to his lot and walked over to the woman to lift her up onto his arms, `at least she's no longer bleeding over my coat.` Ace thought by himself.

"I wanna carry her!" Sanji said desolately.

"Geez, if you want you can carry my bag… but you have to be very carefully with it!" Nami said, because there was some money in it, which she would need to go shopping when they arrived in Selvanio.

"I'll do anything for you my sweet little Nami!" said Sanji thrilled and hung Nami's bag over his shoulder, before they started to follow Luffy again.

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><p>Please let me know what you think about my grammar and if you understand most of that chapter, if not, I will try to fix it .<p> 


	4. Chapter 3: A strange young woman part 2

Hi guys

In this chapter the name of the woman will be revealed among other things; you're might going to question why I use a name which already exist in One Piece. The thing is that I wrote this story five to six years ago (now I'm doing an English remake) and back then I didn't know that Oda would use that name. And although I liked that name pretty much I tried to get familiar with another name for my OC, but then I realized that this Name as well exists in the English version, so I'll go with my first choice.

Now let's continue.

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><p><em>Chapter 3: A strange young woman part 2<em>

Just when the rocks came in sight of the group, the young woman woke up and looked upwards to Ace. "LET GO OF ME!" yelled the woman and punched Ace straight in his face.

Ace dropped the woman immediately; she jumped a few meters away from him and got into fighting position.

Zoro and the others turned startled around to Ace and the strange woman and Ace shouted pissed off: "WHAT THE HECK! We were just helping you out!"

"I didn't ask for your help!" the woman snarled venturously and glared hardily at Ace.

"You would be up the creek without us! What is a defenseless girl doing all alone in the desert, anyway!" Ace asked while glaring back.

The woman looked warily to the other people before she answered scrappily: "just shout your moth, you ignorant pirate! I'm by far not as weak as you are!"

"I'm not sure if you ever have heard from Portgas D. Ace, but be aware, I'm nobody you wanna mess with!" Ace talked perilously back with crossed arms.

"Oh man… that sounds not good… they're going to fight…" Usopp stammered in fear, while he hid behind Nami, Chopper and Robin, because Zoro and Sanji were debating as well.

"That's pretty obviously." Robin said in her offish manner.

"I'm not living behind the moon, I know who you are." the woman responded in a calm way but although her voice was low its sound was firmly and frightening. "And still you're not more than a dishonorable criminal." The woman continued icily.

"That's enough! If you wanna fight, that's fine with me!" Ace yelled angrily, because nobody calls him dishonorable without getting a good smacking and he got into attack-position, before he pointed with his index and middle finger at the young woman and shot with his Devil Fruit Powers, "Fire Gun!"

The woman swerved the fire bullets before she ran towards Ace, her hands clenched to fists. Ace concentrated himself so the woman wouldn't have any chance to hit him, but suddenly he flew in pain a few meters, the woman had kicked him into his stomach region. `How is that possible? How comes that she knows Haki?` Ace wondered rubbing his aching stomach, while the woman adjusted her brown gloves. Ace smiled pugnaciously before he jumped on his feet. `I won't use my Devil Fruit powers anymore, just to see who is stronger.` Ace thought before he ran towards the woman holding back his clenched Fist. But before Ace could reach the woman he was interfered when Sanji, whom had been hold back by Zoro, attacked him from the side.

Ace stopped and parried the kick without getting harmed. Sanji looked madly at Ace who seemed a bit puzzled. "I won't allow you to hurt this beautiful…" Sanji started but then he suddenly was punched by the woman.

"DON'T INTERRUPT MY FIGHT!" the woman yelled aggressively, while Sanji flew back to Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Chopper and Robin.

Ace and the woman exchanged blows, `Weird, before her kick was so powerful and now suddenly she's fighting on low flame.` Ace thought, while he made himself ready to hit her inferior the ribs, but she just swerved adroitly his fist. The woman cocked her right arm to chop her flat hand down to hit Ace, but he parried. Ace tried to punch into the woman's face, but he failed, because she ducked down and kicked at his legs. Ace lost his footing, but while he was falling he finally managed to hit the standing woman at her wounded stomach. The woman griped at the back of Ace' head and she knocked her knee into his face, before she jumped some meters away from him into fighting position.

The wounded woman breathed heavily while she watched angrily at Ace who struggled to get back on his feet, just when Sanji ran him over, screaming with heart-shaped eyes: "Oh my beloved Lady, are you alright?"

While Sanji ran towards the woman, Nami went to Ace to keep him away from attacking the woman: "Ace what's got into you, I thought you're less immature than Luffy." Nami appealed to Ace adult calm side.

"Nami, she pricked on my pirate pride!" Ace explained his flare while the woman punched Sanji away from her.

"Pirates and pried, don't make me laugh…" the woman mumbled on propose loud enough so that Ace could hear it.

While Ace forced himself to calm a bit down Nami asked calmly: "Do you even know pirates?" while she thought: 'she don't know us at all, that's probably why she's acting like this…'

"I know pirates well enough to know that every pirate is a brutal ruthless hustler and that the world would be better off without them…" the woman said calm but in her voice was still an aggressive undertone.

"How do you know that we are pirates anyway?" Zoro asked before Nami could ask another question.

"Only pirates can be that stupid to walk offside the path through the desert." The woman answered dismissively.

"But you walk offside the path, as well" Ace said in a know-it-all manner.

"I'm living for over ten years in the desert, I know exactly in which hunting district I'm in." the woman responded icily while she fixed her cold gaze on Ace.

"OH MY GOSH! We're in a hunting district!" Usopp screamed panicking and jumped on Zoros arms before he was knocked out by Zoro.

"Why are you living in a dangerous area?" Nami started another try to defuse the situation.

"That's not your business, pirate girl!" the woman said bitterly.

"It's pretty obvious that my name isn't Pirate girl" Nami said with a crocked smile, "My name's Nami, I'm the navigator of our ship, that love-sick fellow you just knocked out is Sanji our ship cook; the dude with the three swords who interrupted me is Zoro" she gave him a short glare before she continued to introduce the rest of the group, "the long-nosed guy is Usopp our cannoneer and wannabe vice captain ("EY!" Usopp screamed sharply); the other woman with the hat is an archeologist, she's called Robin; Chopper the reindeer is our doctor, he ate ones from a Devil Fruit, and Ace isn't a member of our crew he just accompanies us for a while. We are on the way to Selvanio to bring some nutrition to Eqrado the town we came from."

"And how is your name?" Robin asked calm while approaching Nami, because she noticed that the woman, although she still didn't change her fighting position, heard Nami out.

"Kid" the woman answered still cold, but Nami and Robin could swear that she was a bit calmer than before.

"Your parents really do hate you!" Ace provoked Kid again.

"And your father sure took up your name while playing cards!" Kid gave Ace callously back.

"I think your name is wonderful Kitty~Kid!" Sanji said dancing around, before Nami hit him, "I love you when you're mad Nami~chan…" Sanji mumbled on the ground while Ace and Kid glared at each other.

"Could you please just stop insult each other!" Nami said a bit tense.

"I'm curious what are you doing in the desert?" Robin asked sedately.

"right now I'm as well on the way to Selvanio for the same reason as you are…" Kid explained again a bit harsher with crossed arms.

"So we have the same goal, so please shake hands and let's team up!" Nami said keenly to Ace and Kid.

"forget it, I don't shake a dirty pirate's hand" Kid denied dismissively.

"You know what, I'm getting more and more pissed of about you, so do us all a favor and just get lost!" Ace said rudely.

"With the greatest pleasure!" Kid said sardonically and hit the road.

"Wait, can't you at least tell us, what kind of creatures we're going to deal with!" Nami yelled worried after Kid, but she didn't seem to care.

"Oh my precious Nami, you don't have to be afraid, I will protect you!" Sanji said thrilled.

"There he's right, we don't need an iffy shrew to get along!" Ace said.

"People, I think we should look after Luffy otherwise there will be nothing left of our provision!" Zoro interposed and so they went towards the rocks.

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><p>Meanwhile Kid went a dune upwards she was still upset and thought nasty things like: `what a bloody jerk!` or `I feel kinda dirty?`. When she reached the top of the sand dune she started to look around to find direction. That's when Kid saw something: there were some holes in the sand farther down always four parallel running on each side. Kid knew instantly to which creature those footprints belong, then she realist that the footprints were running into the same direction she came from. `Shall I leave those pitiful pirates unwarned behind?` she asked herself callously, while she turned around and saw that a huge spider was creeping up on those people, who didn't even realized their miserable situation. `Why do I even bother…` she thought in cold bloood when she turned back, should she really be that mean, to people she barely knew? She made up her mind quickly.<p>

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><p>Meanwhile the rocks came closer and closer to the group's sight. "YO PEOPLE WATCH OUT!" Zoro and the others heard Kid yelling.<p>

"That's great! You want to come with us!" Nami asked happily and turned around, "WAHH! A GIGANTIC SPIDER!" Nami screamed panicking.

"WHAT A SPIDER! WAHH!" screamed Sanji in angst while he turned around to see the black monstrous Spider which managed to sneak up pretty closely to the group; Usopp just fainted when he and the others turned around.

"You're screaming like a girl, man it's just a big Spider." Zoro sneered about Sanji reaction.

"SHOUT UP!" Sanji screamed angrily.

The spider turned around and threw a white gooey liquid towards the group that was when things happened quickly.

"Step back, I'll take care of it!" Ace said cool with an unfazed expression on his face as he pulled back his flaming fist; he flicked his fist towards the Spider.

"FIRE FIST!" Ace yelled when the Flames burst into a fire storm which flew towards the spider net.

"ARE YOU INSANE?" Kid yelled in the same moment when Ace released his attack before she changed the direction to run around the spider, while the Flames burned the spiders net and still flew towards the Spider.

The spider again turned around to face the firestorm, but before it could move away it already was hit by the flames.

"Run! People!" Kid yelled when she ran towards the group; the Straw Hat pirates did as they were told, but Ace didn't give a shit, he wouldn't take any orders from a shrew.

"KYA!" Nami, Lysop and Chopper screamed when suddenly the Spider exploded and a greenish liquid splashed through the air.

Kid jumped on Ace, who still didn't seem to be impressed about what was going on, while the greenish liquid flew towards him. Just when he was about to build up a heat haze Kid jumped on him to get him away from his feet; the two rolled through the sand, while the greenish liquid hit the ground. The liquid corroded the sand and it created a big sinkhole with the rest of the acid like liquid.

"What the heck are you doing?" Ace asked harshly while he and Kid stopped rolling.

"Why on earth didn't you do what I said? You dumbass!" Kid asked furiously while she pushed herself away from Ace

"Oi Ace, are you alright?" Zoro asked while he and the rest of the Straw Hat pirates ran towards those two.

"You heartless bastard! The lady's way more important!" Sanji yelled at Zoro and they started to fight.

"I'm glade both of you are okay!" Chopper said exhausted, "the acid seems pretty strong."

"Which acid you mean?" Ace asked.

"Those spiders have a poison gland, the poison becames by fire contact an acid" Kid explained with her arms crossed.

"But why did the Spider explode in the first place?" Usopp asked.

"the acid is as well fire-sensitive ." Kid answered pettishly, for her this was obvious.

"I guess I should thank you" Ace said while he scratched the back of his head, "so thanks!" and he held out his hand.

Kid just stared inimically at Ace' hand, she made no move to shake his hand. "I think you should also apologize, Ace…" Nami tried to conciliate.

"Alright, Alright I know what's proper…" Ace said bugged, "I'm Sorry for insulting you before."

"Sorry, as well for making fun of your name!" Kid said with still crossed arms, while Ace gnashed his teeth, "I believe now we're quit… bye" Kid said before she passed the seven pirates by.

"Come on Kid could you please come with us, we don't know this area at all!" said Nami.

"Yeah please we almost died, so please come with us!" Usopp said in angst.

Kid just wanted to give them a harsh answer when suddenly a shout from the rocks was heard.

"HELP IT'S SO HOT!" Luffy yelled

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><p>I know this chapter was a bit all over the place, but it will get the plot further, I hope you understand most of it. Those who want to know about my second idea for Kids name, ask in a review along with your opinion about the fan fiction so far.<p> 


	5. Chapter 4: The desert dragon

_Chapter 4: The desert dragon_

"HELP IT'S SO HOT!" It almost seemed that Luffys scream was heard all over the desert.

"Man, what's wrong with him?" Sanji asked bugged

Kid gazed to Nami and asked dismissively: "is that guy someone of your group?"

"Unfortunately yes", Nami answered frustratingly with a crooked head, "It's our Captain!" she continued and asked herself what was gotten into that psycho.

All a sudden a burning Luffy passed them while he was running around yelling: "Help me! I'm burning!"

Ace gripped Luffy at his collar and used his Devil-Fruit power to absorb the flames from Luffys' back, but Luffy still had the dither: "People, people I saw a dragon, a real dragon, it's so awesome! It was huge!" Luffy yelled and instantly everybody knew why he had been burning.

"What have you done? The desert dragons normally don't attack out of nowhere not even when they are breeding!" explained Kid her question.

"Nothing at all… suddenly I was under attack I could barely escape!" Luffy started to defense himself, before he stopped and thought about it, "Well… I stumbled over a huge egg and broke it before I was attacked. do you think it has something to do with the dragons' attack?" He asked concerned.

"THAT WAS THE DRAGONS' EGG! OF COURSE THE MOM DRAGON'S UPSET!" Nami yelled and hit Luffy.

"By the way Luffy where is our provision?" Chopper suddenly asked.

"Ups I left it behind…" Luffy answered when the scales fall from his eyes.

"YOU STUPID DOUCHEBAG!" yelled everybody except for Robin, Ace and Kid.

"And now, what are we gonna do now?" Usopp asked worried.

"I think we should get our provisions back!" Zoro said pugnacious and pat his Katanas.

"Hang on, I'm getting it for you, just to finally pay back my debt. Whatever you do, don't follow me." Kid turned to the rocks and walked towards it.

"Do you really believe we are going to leave you alone with our provisions?" Ace asked and ran in Kids way.

"You know what? Compared to pirates and thieves I have my pride, so I don't steal from other people, not even from ruthless pirates." Kid said coolly and glared wickedly into Ace' eyes.

"I don't trust you at all, you damn shrew!" Ace said with a combative tone in his voice.

"Oi Ace, stop insulting that lovely Lady, or I'll have to beat the creep out of you!" Sanji said with an aggressive undertone before he turned to Kid, "Kitty~Kid would you mind if I would come with you?" He asked with enamored eyes.

"Yes, I do mind!" Kid said harshly and glared icily at Sanji.

"So just go ahead but be very carefully!" Sanji said admiringly.

Kid rolled her eyes and turned to face Ace again and hinted a bow, while she said sardonically: "Would you mind?"

Suddenly Ace seemed a bit stunned but he didn't move at all so Kid grant before she walked around him and ran towards the rocks. `Weird, for one moment I've got the strange sensation that I know that gesture from somewhere.` Ace thought shaking his head to get that feeling away, while Sanji was overwhelmed by Kids "good manners": "you are so well-bred my shining star!"

Just when Kid arrived at the rocks Luffys' stomach rumbled before he ran towards the rocks.

"Oi Luffy, where are you going Kitty~Kid said we should wait here for her!" Sanji yelled after Luffy.

"I just go and check if Kitty-Cat need some help to carry the food!" Luffy yelled back.

"Just let him keep going, you know when he set something in his head…" Zoro said casually.

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><p>Kid was flitting from one rock to another while her eyes darted around the area to make sure that she wouldn't draw the dragons' attention on her. Kid knew it's always dangerous to go on chase after a considered prey of a dragon, especially when the dragon is mad and there's not enough space to swerve. Suddenly Kid heard something that sounded like a deep, growling sigh. Kid looked from behind a rock and saw a rock-colored dragon mourn over a broken egg. When Kids eyes draft around, she found some meters from the dragon some food residues scattered with scrap of cloths over the sandy ground. Kid skulked behind the rocks to come closer to the nourishment while the mother dragon breathed heavily in sadness, every now and then. Kid sneaked noiselessly forward from the rocks, took the least ripped backpack and stated to pack the food residues together, keeping an eye on the dragon and put the rest, she couldn't fit in, in her messenger bag. "OI! Here you are and you found already the food! That's great, I'm already starving!" Kid heard Luffy yell after she finished packing.<p>

Kid turned with concern around and stared up to Luffy who was standing on a rock, "Awesome there is the dragon again!" He yelled enthusiastically when he realized that the huge rock wasn't a rock but a dragon.

"Are you insane!" Kid yelled jumping on the rock to Luffy, just when she heard how the dragon took a deep breath and gripped on his arm, "RUN!"

Kid jump from one rock to another followed by Luffy, who only followed her because of the food; he even didn't realize that the dragon was spitting fire. "What's going on?" He asked not focusing on the situation.

"What's going on? The freaking dragon is going on!" Kid shouted back to Luffy still holding on to his arm so he would keep going while the dragon rear up and spread its wings to fly.

"What does he want from us?" Luffy asked after he looked back and saw that the dragon was approaching them.

"He wants to get the food!" Kid decided to answer after they jumped down the last rock before they entered the open desert.

"What? No way!" Luffy screamed furiously and gripped on the backpack and Kids messenger bag and freed himself from her grip just to stretch his arms to grabbed his hands around the closest person standing to them just to catapult himself to the rest of the group by shouting: "GUM GUM ROCKET!"

"You stupid dumbass!" Zoro screamed furiously, who was lying on the ground, while he put his hands around Luffys' throat.

"Oh my gosh!" Usopp shouted when he saw Kid running towards them, so he snagged the backpack and the messenger bag and hit the road just as Nami and Chopper did, who screamed in fear.

"Don't be afraid Nami~swan; I'll protect you and Robin~chan from any harm!" Sanji yelled and grabbed more or less gently on Robins' arm, so he could force her to run with him after Nami.

"Oi Usopp, that's my food!" Luffy yelled after he managed to put of Zoro, jumped on his feet and followed the food.

"LUFFY! IT'S NOT OVER YET!" Zoro roared in anger and chased after Luffy.

* * *

><p>While the Straw hats where running deeper into the open desert Kid was running in the same direction still pursued by the dragon. `damn pirate! How dear you to take my bag from me!` Kid thought while she swerved the fire bursts of the dragon which roars as loud as he could, `but first things first!` Kid brought the focus back to the dragon and turned around to face the dragon, which was flying ten meters over the ground. Kid dived headlong towards the dragon when it again belched flames towards where she had stood. Kid ran towards the threateningly waving, seven meter dragons' tail, she jumped and grabbed on it. The dragon tried to dislodge Kid, but she jumped just farther upwards on its back. Just when Kid stepped on the dragons back she ran towards its head, drawing her dagger. Kid jumped on the dragons' snout, turning around and thrust her dagger into the dragons' right eye. The dragon roared in pain and finally dislodged Kid by using his paws, before she could pull out her dagger. Kid fell but she turned around and crossed her arms. To ease the collision Kid did a cartwheel when she hit the ground while the dragon was landing. The dragon tried to trample down its opponent still having the knife in its eye, it roared in rage. Kid dived headlong the dragons' foot stamps without troubles. The dragon started again to belch flames, so Kid had to turn several cartwheels to evade the rage of fire. The distance gave Kid the opportunity to take a run-up; she sprinted towards the dragon, which bend forward to catch Kid with its paws. Kid jumped on the dragons' paw and continued bounding up the arm until she reached the shoulder. The dragon raised into the air when Kid jumped on its snout again and Kid struggled, but she took over her balance and grabbed on the dagger, while the dragon started to fly away. Kid yank out her dagger and jumped from the fleeing dragon, which roared in pain. Again Kid managed to land unharmed on the ground.<p>

* * *

><p>Meanwhile Ace had watched the fight, because he wanted to see where Kids limit was.<p>

"Man that was strong…" Ace admitted when he saw Kid standing up, brushing off the sand.

Then suddenly Kid turned around with a skilful smirk on her lips and she said: "You think that was strong? It was a pretty good warm up, though!"

`Damn she's got good ears!` Ace though annoyed while Kid walked over to him.

"By the way do you have any clue in which direction your friends bolted?" Kid asked while approaching Ace and he watched petulant in all possible directions.

Kid braced up her right elbow with her left hand and placed her fingers around her nose bridge before she muttered her discounted: "obviously not… All right let's catch up with your guys!"

Kid passed Ace and just when Ace decided to follow her Kid said across her shoulder: "But don't flatter yourself, I just want my bag back."

`How could I thought that I recognized a gesture of her, I've never faced an annoying person like her before!` Ace thought stressed out and stood still, but because Kid didn't stop he had no alternative but to follow her.


	6. Chapter 5: Hook up intentions

Hi people

Thanks for the review, and sorry that it took so long to complete this chapter, but I'm writing a novel in German which I will try to publicize and I'm working also on a cover page for that fan fiction.

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><p><em>Chapter 5: Hook up intention<em>

Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper and Robin waited in the middle of nowhere, after Usopp explained that he wouldn't make a step towards the rocks before the dragon had been disappeared. Luffy and Usopp unnerved Sanji, because he hog the saved backpack and Kids messenger bag, so they two besieged him to give them some of the food. Chopper laid with a lolled tongue on the ground by his own, till Zoro approached him and poured some of his water over Choppers head. Nami chatted with Robin about the Grand Line until she suddenly broached another subject: "Have you seen Ace with Kid on his arms? They would make a lovely couple, don't you think so?" Nami asked, lowering her voice.

"Except that they're disputing the whole time, they would be the perfect couple!" Robin said sarcastically.

"Yah, but just imagine those two together." Nami said firmly, who didn't wanted to burry her plan, "Let's hook those two up on each other."

"Well, you have a point…" Robin admitted after she pictured Ace and Kid together, "but I'm not too much into that childish stuff, I'm more an observer." She explained mature.

"Oh come on Robin! I need some help with those!" Nami said speaking up.

"How can I help you Nami~Swan! I'll do anything just to please you!" Sanji yelled fondly while he hovered over to the women.

"Oh speaking of the devil, here they are!" Robin said when she saw Ace and Kid approaching them, while Nami tried to get rid of Sanji.

"What?" Sanji asked and looked over to Ace and Kid before he faced Nami again, "Please give me just one second my beloved Nami… Oh Kitty~Kid! I hold your bag for you my shining star!" He screamed while he ran towards Kid with her bag.

Kid snagged her bag and hit Sanji away from her, before she opened her bag and checked that nothing of her stuff was missing.

"You don't trust anybody right?" Ace said irritated, who was walking next to Kid.

"I know who's trustworthy and who isn't" Kid said grimily.

"Oi Ace, Kitty-Cat what took you so long?" Luffy asked approaching Ace and Kid.

"What! My name is not Kitty-Cat." Kid said slightly amused while Ace was laughing, "JUST SHOUT UP!" she yelled after she gave Ace a clout.

"STUPID SHREW! What's wrong with you?" Ace yelled back.

"So your name's Shrew?" Luffy asked confused.

"No, my name's Kid, and what's your name anyway?" Kid asked harshly.

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy and I'm gonna be king of the pirates!", Luffy said his favorite line, Kid didn't seemed to be much impressed but by Luffy mentioning "King of the pirates" her expression turned a bit more sinister, "Can we go eat something now, I'm really having the munchies!" Luffy screamed to the others.

Kids raised her eyebrows, actually these pirates didn't seem to be much of a threat at all, but she already made once the mistake to be so carelessly, to trust a pirate. "Man Luffy, I already told you I won't go back as long there's the desert dragon!" Usopp said in panic while he and the others approached Luffy, Sanji, Ace and Kid.

Kid sighed deeply, when she saw Namis' worried look and she realized that this bunch of pirates were almost as helpless as a group of kindergarten children. So Kid decided to play the babysitter, like that she could at least keep an eye on them and interfere, in case that she was wrong. "Don't worry… the dragon's already gone! But I think you won't get far without help" Kid said coldly.

"How can you say something like that?" Usopp asked with a start.

Kid placed her right hand on her nose bridge, Usopp being a wimp annoyed her almost more than the fact that this people are pirates and she said pettishly: "just be quiet… since we're having the same goal and you obviously getting into trouble the whole time, I'll be your guide."

"Really? That's great!" Nami said joyously, not only because they would arrive for sure in Selvanio like that she could work on her plan.

"That's really nice of you Kitty-Cat!" Luffy said rashly with his wide grin, what gave him a frown from Kid.

"Last time my name isn't either Kitty-Cat or Kitty-Kid," Kid said with a glance to Sanji just as sinister as to Luffy, "you'd better remember that!"

"I love it when you're seriously like that!" Sanji said amorously when he got back on his feet.

Kid turned around and massaged her temple, while she asked herself: `Why did I decline that challenge?`

The others followed her and Nami ran over to Kid "you should just ignore Sanji, he's always like that when he meets a pretty woman!" Nami said with a friendly smile, "Now that you accompany us, how about telling something about yourself, like where are you from?"

"I'm not accompanying you to tell stories! The best is you just stay out of my way!" Kid explained forcefully and walked ahead,

`That's going to be a tough nut for Nami.` Robin thought chuckling, when she saw Namis' attempt to get some information about Kid.

"You're even more beautiful when you're smiling, Robin~Chan!" Sanji said madly in love walking alongside Robin, but she just failed to hear his random remark.

The sun lowered already towards the horizon when the group finally arrived at the rock. Kid separated herself immediately from the group to work out. While Sanji was cooking supper Luffy, Usopp and Chopper were trying to wheedle some snacks from Sanji. Robin watched amused how Nami was working on a plan to get Ace and Kid together (Namis' facial expressions were just too funny). Zorro was drinking booze, which he picked up while Sanji was busy watching Luffy not to steal the food they would need for the next day. Ace sat on a rock and watched Kid from the distance, even though he would rather go to sleep than keep that shrew under review, but something about her simply drew his interest on her; he was sure something about her was just worrisome. Kid flailed some rocks and pulverized them one by one. "Supper is ready!" Luffy said all a sudden, after he jumped on Ace observation rock.

"So why are you here?" Ace asked wonderingly after he turned around.

"Sanji told me I should get you and Kitty-Cat otherwise I wouldn't get dinner." Luffy murmured, because he didn't get for what he was punished, "do you know where I can find her?"

"She's down there, but let me give you an advice…" but then Luffy already jumped down the rocks to run over to Kid.

`Well, I've tried…`Ace thought with a shrug, before he turned around to go to the others.

"Oi take a break! Supper is ready!" Luffy said and Kid glared crossly at him.

"I think I made myself clear! You should stay out of my way!" Kid said in a sinister tone.

"Yeah but Sanji is a really good cook, and he said I would only get something to eat when I get you to come to dinner!" Luffy explained impatiently.

"And why should I care?" Kid asked irritated while she pulverized the 120th rock.

"Oh come on Kitty-Cat!" Luffy said without thinking of the consequences.

Kid glared irately to Luffy and with that expression on her face she walked over to him.

* * *

><p>Just when Ace reached the fireplace where the others were waiting suddenly they heard Luffy fearfully scream: "NO, WAIT! DON'T DO THAT! WUAAA!"<p>

"What did just happen?" Usopp asked in shock when Ace turned around.

"I just knew we can't trust her!" Ace yelled while he ran back into the darkness, while the others jumped on their feet to follow him.

Ace ran over rough and smooth while he lighted up his hand and when he reached Kids work out place he saw Luffy laying in an absurd angle on the ground Kid stood between them looking down on Luffy. "What have you done to Luffy!" Ace yelled whit clenched fists; in the semidarkness he couldn't tell if there was any blood.

"Ace help!" whined Luffy, and that was the final signal for Ace to attack Kid.

Ace ran towards Kid ready to punch her, when she swerved light of foot without even seeing her attackers burning fist.

"Oh my gosh Luffy, what happened!" Usopp asked anxious when the Straw Hats arrived, while Kid griped on Ace arm to throw him over her shoulder

"Everyone, I can't stand up! she tied a knot into me!" Luffy said weakly, while he tried to crawl to his friends, when Ace created a firestorm, while he got up on his feet.

Kid bent forward so she wouldn't be touched by the flames before she ran towards Ace to knock him down with a punch.

"Stop acting like a berserker, like that you'll never even have a chance against me." Kid said angrily while Zoro, Usopp and Sanji started to untie Luffy.

"How could she do that?" asked Chopper after Luffy sat on the ground.

"Actually that was pretty easy: she stretched my body, crossed both endings, pulled one end through the loop and tied me up." Luffy answered off-handily while Ace started another attack blind with rage.

"Don't take that so easily!" Chopper yelled blankly by Luffys carelessness, when Kid swerved from Ace attack and put him with a round kick on the ground right in front of Luffy and the others.

"Oi Ace, are you still conscious?" Luffy asked while he picked with his index finger on Ace shoulder, because he didn't get up at first.

"See, Luffy's just fine!" Kid said firmly, when Ace again stood up, "why should I stain my hands with the blood of someone, who can't remember my name! I simply had to hammer it into his mind!"

"Ah that's why you tied a knot into me!" Luffy said keenly.

"I knew you are a sweet lovely person Kitty~Kid!" Sanji said dancing over to Kid and hugged her.

"Hands off, or I'll tie a knot into you!" Kid snarled at Sanji.

"I would pay for seeing that!" Zoro mumbled with a grin, when Sanji let go of Kid.

"Now that everything seems clear, let's go eat something!" Nami sighed in relieve.

"Nothing is clear, for the last time I'm not your friend!" Kid explained irritated.

"So that means, you don't wanna taste my meal?" Sanji asked with big sad eyes.

"Exactly!" Kid stated before she turned around to leave into the darkness.

"Sanji, can I get now some food?" Luffy asked Sanji how was close to a mental breakdown.

Nami breathed frustrated through and griped on Sanjis arm and pulled him, followed by the rest, back to the fireplace, what lifted Sanjis mood again.

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><p>Hope you liked this chapter and understood it.<p>

I would be thankful for reviews. I hug everybody who can explain me the difference between till and until; I read somewhere that until is more often used in the beginning of a sentence than till, is that true?


	7. Chapter 6: Fight in the desert

_Chapter 6: Fight in the desert_

After returning to the fireplace the group enjoyed the supper Sanji had cooked, Luffy even swallowed his full plate in an instant. "ARE YOU INSANE?" Nami, Usopp, Sanji and Chopper yelled when they saw that the plate stuck halfway his throat.

"How can you even breathe?" Ace asked slightly amused, after Luffy managed it to get the plate down his gorge and smiled happily before he asked for another full plate.

Short time later when the supper had been eaten the group pitched up their tents and went to sleep after Ace put out the fire. Soon there were snoring sounds heard from the tents.

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><p>In the middle of the night Ace woke up, because he sensed a fire source very close by the tents and he decided after some time, unable to get back to sleep, to have a look on it. When he stepped out into the cold night he saw that the fireplace was kindled and that Kid was lying before it. Upon closer inspection he noticed that she only had a very thin blanket. The cold air tickled his neck and as he saw Kid lying there he turned around and griped his blanket, before he approached Kid. After he had thrown his blanket over Kid he returned to his tent when he suddenly heard a: "Thank you."<p>

"Don't flatter yourself...", Ace said in a cool tone turning to Kid again "I don't wanna hear you complaining tomorrow about having a cold!"

"And do you know what? You're just annoying as heck…", Kid teased with a bored undertone while pushing the second blanket aside.

"Didn't your parents teach you any manners?" Ace asked harshly, he was trying to be a bit friendlier because Kid saved his life in the desert, but she was bitching around all the time.

"You have no idea about my parents, so just get the fuck out of my sight." Kid snarled dangerously and glared furiously at Ace.

Ace knew that he just scratched on a nerve where he better shouldn't get on again. Kids glare still lingered on him when he returned into his tent, after he suddenly felt sleepy from the fresh air. So he closed the tent, laid down on his sleeping mat and fell asleep.

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><p>Although the sun was still hidden behind the horizon the Straw Hat Pirates were rudely awakened by a pot and a ladle. "Breakfast's ready?" came the first questions from three tents.<p>

"No" answered Kid, who had pounded the pot with the ladle.

"So, don't let the bedbugs bite." Said Luffy, Usopp and Chopper while uneasy frowns where heard from the other tents of the Straw Hats.

"Oh good morning my shining star, did you sleep well?" Came the question from Sanji who looked out of his tent.

"The tent isn't comfy when the cold wind's blowing!" Nami complained stretching herself while she walked out of her tent.

"Next night I'll keep you warm Nami~Swan!" Sanji yelled madly in love, before he saw Robin coming out of her tent and he ran back into his tent.

"What time is it!" asked Zoro sleepy between two yawns, who still didn't show up after another din of the pot.

"Everyone listen! We wasted too much time yesterday! So we are leaving in 15 minutes!" Kid commanded before she realized the snores out of the four tents and she pounded again with the ladle on the pot screaming: "EY YOU DOZY DEVILS! GET OUT OF YOUR TENTS!"

"Alright! Alright!" murmured Luffy, Usopp and Chopper while Sanji hurried to Robin to bring her a cup of coffee.

While Sanji confessed his love to Robin Kid went to the tent where she didn't hear any responds yet. She opened the tent and pulled Aces' blanket, which she had thrown over him when he was asleep and yelled: "Get up!" but he just turned around, covered his ears with his pillow and continued snoring.

Kid pounded almost a whole minute against the pot (and with each second her rage grew stronger and stronger), until Ace woke up and mumbled sleepily : "…New anger management method?"

Kid, who actually appreciated the fact that Ace left her alone when he stood on one of her toes, really wanted to try not to explode, but that pirate just drove her to that point. After Kid had clobbered the ladle against Ace' head, she walked out of his tent murmuring death wishes.

Half an hour later the Straw Hats, Ace and Kid (who was annoyed as heck) left the rocks while the sun began to rise.

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><p>The sun was beating down mercilessly on the group, while they were wandering through the desert. The many groans from Luffy and Usopp didn't seem to bother Kid till Usopp yelled, after he looked through his binocular glasses: "Oi Kid there are some rock in this direction! Could we please have a break? The heat is killing me!" and pointed at them.<p>

"Me too, and I'm still hungry!" Luffy supported the suggestion of his cannoneer.

Kid glanced in the direction where the rocks were and said: "Of course we can have a break" then she smiled a sly grin, "If you don't mind to be eaten by the desert dragons, which are coming after us!"

"W…WHAT?!" Nami, Usopp and Chopper screamed fearfully and Usopp watched anxious through his binocular glasses to the rocks before they took to their heels.

Luffy looked into the same direction as Usopp did and yelled: "COOL DRAGONS!" Luffy yelled excitedly, when he saw the desert dragons approaching them.

When Robin got into fighting stance to attack the dragons with her Devil Fruit powers Sanji said fondly: "Oh Robin~Chan you don't have to fight, my dearest, please go along and make sure that, my beloved Nami~Swan is save!"

"He's right; you should join the three cowards in case they get attacked!" Kid reinforced Sanjis love sick statement.

"Kitty~Kid you do love me, my shining star!" Sanji yelled overwhelmed with emotions of joy.

"I just don't want those wimps to be all defenseless if there show some creatures up!" Kid explained the obvious, but Sanji was in his own world, while Robin followed Nami, Usopp and Chopper.

"They look smaller than the one from yesterday." Ace commented when he noticed it, while the dragons flew closer towards them.

"Those are males, normally they are smaller and weaker, but because of their ego they always try to impress their females." Kid explained calmly.

"Doesn't matter they are still awesome as hell!" Luffy said still excited before all the dragons landed in a row on their rear legs.

"Okay then let's send them back to their females! FIRE FIST" Ace yelled after he clenched a burning fist, punched into the air towards the largest dragon and generated a firestorm.

The biggest dragon spat a huge inferno and blocked the firestorm; Ace changed his body into fire before the inferno swept across him.

"Idiot, those are dragons. You need to be a little bit more innovative than just attack them straight ahead with their own weapons!" Kid said snidely, before she drew her dagger and sprinted towards the biggest dragon, while Sanji and Zoro started to debate who could take out more dragons.

The dragon spat fire, while Kid swiftly swerved the flames before the others flew towards the rest of the group to attack them. When Kid was three meter away from the dragon, she jumped off the ground only to prop herself from the shoulder up to jab her dagger at under his jawline. The dragon roared in agony when Kid yanked the dagger out and slapped Kid away from his jaw, while Luffy punched a bunch of the smaller dragons by using the Gum Gum Gatling; Zoro and Sanji were still debating when they were attacked by three dragons and Zoro slashed two of them open, while Sanji jumped and kicked on the thirds head, what caused the dragons' skull to break; Ace on the other hand ran as close as possible to the dragons which attacked him and used the technique Fire Pillar and roasted the dragons' bellies. While Sanji and Zoro were slicing and kicking the dragons' in order to decide who the better fighter was, Kid has had escaped the flames when she pushed herself from the ground and landed on her feet some meters farther away. She turned around and saw the dragon passing higher and higher from her view. All a sudden it looked like the dragon returned in free fall, a moment Kid watched him falling before she ran away. The dragon slowed down by rolling three meters before he would hit the ground and followed Kid. As soon as the dragon was close enough it started again to spit fire. Kid dodged the flames by diving head along, pushing herself from the ground and turning a somersault in the air, before she jumped several cartwheels. While the flight path of the dragon passed Kid she jumped and held on the tail, which whipped dangerously through the air. In a blink of an eye the dragon flew vertically upwards, because that happened so abruptly Kid screamed in surprise when the air around her stood still for one second, before suddenly the air pricked like hundreds of pins on her skin. Kid clung on the scaly tail so she wouldn't fall off; while the dragon speeded up more and more the higher it flew. Kid started to swing back- and forwards, what was a simple act because the dragon concentrated fully on its speed, but on the other hand stung the air painfully. After Kid managed it to swing herself up to the dragons' unprotected belly, she jabbed her dagger into its leathery skin and the dragon roared: "GRROOARR!" before it slung Kid.

Kid tumbled towards the ground, made herself ready to roll when she would hit the ground, but then the dragon flapped its wings to curve and flew away. The blast of air by the stroke of wings let Kid spin out of her balance and she fell the last teen meters backwards.


	8. Chapter 7: The Selvanio Forest

Thanks again for your review LadyUzuScarlet! Hope you will still have fun with my fan fiction, even though it is sometimes a bit predictable.

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><p><em>Chapter 7: The Selvanio forest<em>

Meanwhile Kid was busy by frighten off the hugest dragon the rest of the dragons were defeated or chased away by Luffy and the others.  
>Luffy had ensconced himself behind a roasted dragon and crammed its meat down; while Zoro and Sanji quarreled over the numbers and heights of dragons they'd beaten. Ace was standing apart from Luffy and was staring up into the sky.<p>

"Oipf Ath! Why dof you starepf into spath? (Oi Ace Why do you stare into space)" Luffy asked still munching, before he heard the sound of a cushioned bounce.

"Are you crazy?! Let go of me!" suddenly Luffy heard Kid scold, as well as Zoro and Sanji who stopped trailing their strengths at once.  
>Luffy, Zoro and Sanji looked over to Ace, who were holding Kid in his arms, then he dumped her down with a hacked off expression. "Jerk…" Kid mumbled venomously<p>

"Did it hurt, you damsel in distress?" Ace smirked, when he crouched down.

"You'd better shut your moth right now…" Kid snarled dangerously, when Sanji approached them.

"Let me help you, Kitty-Kid!" Sanji said while he danced around her and bow down to held out his hand for Kid.

Kid just punched Sanji in his face and he fell three Meters away on the ground. "Why you're such an imp to whoever wanna help you?" Ace asked irritated while Kid jumped on her feet.

"I said you should shut your mouth" Kid repeated with an enraged voice, she barely could bridle the volume of it.

"Jeez… you're acting like an old wed!" Zoro joked.

"What did you say?" Ace and Kid snarled synchronously their eyes filled with pure rage glaring at Zoro. Ace was so disgruntled that flames flickered around him, those were reflected in Kids furious eyes and so they gave them the most badass appearance imaginable.

"N…nothing…." Zoro gainsaid while he was almost shitting his pants and thought swallowing `Memo to myself… don't ever say that again… in their presence!`

Luffy shook with laughter as he saw Zoros' shocked expression, what drew Ace' and Kids' attention to him. Ace awe-inspiring aura (the flames) faded as he and Kid stared at Luffy, after a while those two looked fretfully at each other before they turned their faces with an annoyed: "hmpf!" away.

Kid was the first who recollected herself and walked in the direction in which the rest of the straw hat members had been decamped. When she couldn't see any sign of Nami, Usopp, Chopper and Robin she turned around and said: "Keep on moving, if the others are getting into a fight they won't hang on long!" when she saw Sanji packing some of the sliced up dragons' meat into the backpack.

"You're so helpful my shining star!" Sanji said and put the backpack back on his back, "Don't worry Nami~Swan, Robin~Chan your knight in shining armor is on the way!" he shouted before he ran ahead passing Kid.

"Man… He's such a pain in the ass!" Zoro mumbled irritated before he, Luffy, Ace and Kid followed Sanji.

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><p>When the sun began to sink Nami, Usopp, Chopper and Robin reached completely exhausted the border of the forest. "Oh my gosh… do you think… the others are okay?" heckled Chopper worried.<p>

"Stop asking the same question over and over!" Nami said annoyed, because Chopper asked that question almost every half an hour.

"But I'm really concerned about them…" Chopper whined.

"Don't be afraid, Chopper! They know how to defend themselves; after all I taught Luffy, Zoro and Sanji some good techniques." Said Usopp panting and tried to put on a brave face.

"And why were you then running away, Moron!" Nami yelled at Usopp fuming.

"Is it because you were worried about us?" Chopper said with shining eyes staring at Usopp, who was struggling for words.

"That's exactly the reason!" Usopp said with a cool grin on his face and a thumb up in Choppers direction, what impressed the reindeer even more, Nami on the other hand just slapped her palm against her forehead and moaned frustrated.

"Here they come!" Robin said calmly but with an eased ton, when she saw first Kid then the others appear on the top of a sand hill, before the group ran the hill downwards.

"Thank goodness! I was so worried about you, guys!" yelled Chopper relieved when he saw a huge haunch in Luffys' hand, when he and the others reached the group.

"Were you worried about me as well Robin~chan?" Sanji asked flattered, while dancing around Robin.

"Eh… sure…" Robin answered out of polite.

"It's already too late to walk to Selvanio, I suggest to go to a house in the forest, so we can rest until tomorrow." Kid recommended while Sanji was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Good idea I'm totally exhausted! How far is the house away?" asked Nami worn out.

"Not so far, though it's in the opposite direction of the city…" Kid said after she thought about it, before she continued easily "at least one hour!"

"What?! And how far is the capital?" Nami wanted to know with a shocked expression on her face.

"The distance is also decent… Only three to five hours, if we hurry." Kid explained off-handily, what caused Nami to crack a haggard smile.

"I can't walk three to five hours!" said Chopper dog-tiered.

"Alright then let's go to the house and Sanji's gonna cook us a yummy supper!" yelled Luffy eager.

"WHAT?! You're already hungry again?!" yelled Zoro and Sanji astonished.

"You just ate half a dragon!" Kid added in surprise, while Nami, Chopper and Usopp jaws dropped open even Robin had a disbelieving expression on her faces.

"It was just a small one and I burned everything already." Luffy defended himself.

"What ever! I'll lead the way, so stick around me! Don't lose your way!" said Kid resolute.

"Heard that Luffy, Zoro?" Nami and Sanji meant to their Capitan and the swordsman and earned as an answer an annoyed glare from Zoro.

"Forward March!" Kid yelled, before Zoros rage could end up in a massacre, and went at full pace into the forest, before the Straw Hats and Ace followed her.

The group ran over hedge and ditch while they crossed the forest, leaded by Kid. Although Kid tried to keep an eye on the group behind her, were two of them after a while missing.

"HALT!" Kid shouted the moment she noticed that the group wasn't complete anymore and stopped.

Nami, Usopp and Chopper sank to the ground out of exhaustion, while Sanji and Robin looked a bit confused to Kid; Ace on the other hand seemed annoyed, because normally he wouldn't let anyone command him around but Whitebeard. "What's wrong Kitty~Kid?" Sanji asked.

"Where are the swordsman and your captain?" asked Kid heckled up.

Nami prop up from the ground and looked around before she yelled madly: "I'M GONNA KILL THOSE TWO!"

"It figures!" murmured Usopp drained.

Kid placed the fingers of her right hand around her nose bridge and started to massage it, to calm her anger down before she started to speak calmly: "Well… they can't be far away yet… I suggest we should spread out and look for them!"

"I'm in your team!" Sanji yelled gushingly and flung his arms around Kids neck.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME! I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT TEAMS!" hollered Kid out, while she punched Sanji away from her.

Just When Kid lost her patience Ace started to laugh, because he had a huge fun seeing the situation was over her head. Kid glowered at Ace, who couldn't stop laughing, while she approached him. Kid clenched one fist and whacked Ace on the head so hard that he fell to the ground, "DO YOU STILL THINK THAT'S FUNNY?!" asked Kid yelling.

"Just you wait…" Ace muttered under his breath and darted at Kid to start a brawl.

`Oh no… that's bad…` Nami thought seeing her plan pass away, when she saw Kid and Ace fighting and tried to figure a way out of this mess. But then Nami saw some cherry blossoms wafted while she heard Robin mumbling something under her breath with her arms crossed before her breasts. All a sudden Ace stumbled forward and dragged Kid with himself to the ground. Ace braced himself up from the ground, his palms flat on both of Kids sides, before their lips could touch while Kid froze in shock. Ace stared some moments into Kids wide opened, sea blue eyes, before he realized that her breasts were pressing against his chest. `Maybe I should just…` Ace started to think, but he rejected his unfinished thought and pushed himself a bit away. To cover his hesitation Ace began to smirk and just when he wanted to say something with his sassy attitude he fell asleep. Suddenly Kid woke from her paralyze and looked down at her and Ace and shocked Ace on his jaw, so he would be tossed away from her. "DON'T EVER GET THAT CLOSE TO ME AGAIN, YOU SICKO!" Kid yelled madly.

Just when Kid jumped on her feet and Ace looked sleepily around, the group heard grunting and pounding of hoofs and everyone was looking for the source of noise. Suddenly a huge warthog jumped out of the bushes right behind Usopp. In the last second Usopp managed it with a cry of fear to roll away, out of the way of the raging warthog. "YAHOO!" Luffy, who was riding on the warthog, yelled in excitement.

"Luffy!" everyone yelled without being surprised.

"Oi Sanji, I found more meat!" yelled Luffy delighted when he saw his ship cook.

"ARE YOU NUTS?!" Nami screamed furiously when she whacked on Luffys head, after the warthog was slain.

"One nutcase to go…" Kid mumbled irritated while she massaged her nose bridge again.

"Where's Zoro?" Luffy asked when he noticed that Sanji was the one, who sliced the warthog into pieces, "Is he lost again? Unbelievable!" Luffy shook his head in embarrassment.

"You should talk!" Usopp yelled at his captain.

"SHUT YOUR TRAPS!" Kid hollered stressed out, because of those pirates every attempt to calm down came to nothing.  
>Luffy and Usopp broke off at once, whereby Usopp hid behind his captain.<p>

When Kid saw Luffys shocked face she breathed frustrated through before she spoke calm: "Suggestion… now that one nuisance is found how about split up into teams…"

"Yahoo!" Sanji yelled delighted and danced into Kids direction, but she gave him a deadly glance, so he stood still.

"I wanna figure out the teams by playing Rock-Paper-Scissors!" Luffy said in a childish voice just when Kid wanted to continue.

"In that time Zoro could be over the hills and far away!" Nami argued.

"And what if…" Luffy started again.

"New plan!" Kid snarled suppressing her anger, "I bring you guys to the house and you keep your feet still."

"I'm for it!" said Chopper with a raised hoof.

"Oh no! That's lame!" Luffy complained.

"I won't let you any choice!" Kid responded angrily.

"Luffy, Kid's right… When she grew up here she knows the forest best, we would only get lost and starve to death…" said Robin sinister.

"I didn't grow up here…" Kid snarled bitterly before she mumbled a bit calmer, "but thanks for the support."

"All right then… let's go to the house were Sanji's gonna cook supper for us!" Luffy accepted the new plan and flicked the warthog over his shoulders before they went farther. This time Kid went on normal walking speed so no one else would get lost.

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><p>Hope you guys liked it.<p> 


	9. Chapter 8: The house in the forest

_Chapter 8: The house in the forest_

Even tough Kid went through the forest on walking speed she still looked around to make sure that no one of the group would get lost, because she didn't have the nerves for that, at least that's what Nami and Robin assumed. About half an hour later the group arrived at a forest glade where an old-fashioned house was built. Kid persisted and gazed in abstraction at the old building before she mumbled: "Here we are…"

"T…that building looks so creepy…" Usopp stammered under his breath, while he hid behind Sanji, "I don't wanna go in there! It has a bad vibe!" he screamed in fear.

In the darkness with the shadows of the trees around the house, it really seemed like a haunted house, it even made Kid jitter, or was it because of the cold air?

"It's getting cold!" Nami said when she started to shiver.

Kid swallowed once before she mumbled: "All right let's go inside." and approached the house.

"I said I'm opposed it!" Usopp yelled in fear.

"Well then, you'll be here all by yourself in the cold with all that spooky shadows around you." Sanji said with a smirk, while he and the rest followed Kid to a window, because she knew it was bolted.

After Usopp was persuaded that he would be alone in the forest if he wouldn't join the rest of the group he went after them. Luffy, Nami, Robin, Usopp, Chopper and Ace climbed in at the window, which was held open by Kid, then Sanji alternated with Kid so she could climb in.

As soon as Sanji was inside the house the group was standing in a pitch-black room. Kid rummaged in her bag until she found what she was searching for when she kindled a matchstick she walked over to a dresser. Suddenly the Straw Hats and Ace heard how something was slammed with a jerk. "WUAAH! WE'RE DOOMED!" Usopp screamed in panic.

"Calm down man. That was just the dresser I put into place." Kid said annoyed while she kindled two candles on the dresser.

Even though the candle light illuminated the room only sparsely, the group could see that there was a thick layer of dust on the furniture.

"Is no one living here?" Chopper asked after he coughed after he tried to breath in the scent of any occupier.

"Looks like it was derelicted long time ago…" Robin answered in thoughts, for her it was clear that no one set foot in here for at least half of a decade.

"The boys will sleep down here…" Kid explained while she turned to the group, "and the girls are going upstairs... go into the third room after the stairs…" she instructed Nami and Robin while she approached them.

"Damn it!" Kid could hear Sanji swear under his breath.

"While I'm looking for that swordsman." continued Kid hackled up.

"I follow you wherever you go, Kitty~Kid!" Sanji yelled madly in love.

"No, you won't!" Kid hollered, but all a sudden she seemed to be nervous when she looked around, "I mean… it's better if you stay here and cook super for your friends." Kid continued after she breathed through.

At the word supper the tummies of Luffy, Usopp, Chopper and Ace started to rumble.

"YAHOO!" Luffy screamed happily, "You should listen to Kitty-Cat!"

Luffy hold his breath because he was sure Kid wouldn't get easy on him, but all she did was mumbling death wishes under her breath, while she climbed out at the window. "Weird…" Ace mumbled when Luffy breathed relieved through before he and the other boys started to unpack their sleeping bags while Nami and Robin went upstairs. "Robin, why did you change your mind? I mean about hooking Kid and Ace up on each other" asked Nami as soon as they were out of earshot and launched herself with her sleeping bag on an old bed, before she started coughing

"Well… the opportunity was convenient… and you are right they would be a lovely couple fufufuf" Robin answered giggling while Nami tried to fawn the dust away.

"Don't you think Kid acted strange after that "convenient opportunity"" Nami hint at Kids' insecurity when she let herself fall back into the sheets.

"Right, but I think it's rather to do something with that house then with Ace." Robin responded mature placing her sleeping bag on the floor.

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><p>While Nami and Robin were upstairs chatting Sanji, who unpacked his stuff in a blink of an eye, climbed out at the window to pursue Kids request. After Ace finished unpacking his sleeping bag he watched some minutes how Luffy, Usopp and Chopper were quarreling over the couch. When Luffy came to the conclusion to play Rock-Paper-Scissor Ace shock his head, turned it away and glanced around. He could see the outlines of some picture frames at the walls so he stood up, let his Hand burn and had a closer look on them: they were all empty. `Why aren't any pictures in them?` Ace questioned in thoughts before he went to the dresser with the candle. By a closer look it looked like there had been standing an item, because the layer of dust on that place wasn't as thick as on the rest of the dresser. Ace searched through the drawers, until he found the item he was looking for: it was another picture frame it showed a Family picture but three faces had been cut out of it. One of the out cut faces would have belonged to a huge fat man, another to a fine-boned woman and the third to a baby-girl, only the baby in the arms of the woman still had his face. `Who are those? And why the heck tried Kid to hide this picture from us?` Ace wanted to know and tucked it into his pants pocket away. Just when Usopp could bring out that Rock-Paper-Scissor wasn't the solution for everything, Luffy jumped on his feet and ran through the bolted door. " Oh Yummy Food!" Luffy yell in excitement.<p>

"Hands off, Luffy!" Ace could hear Sanji object while Usop and Chopper freed themselves from their entanglement of sleeping bags to follow their captain through the now open doorway.

Ace went the dust-covered stairs up and found Nami and Robin in the third room, where Nami nestled herself down in her pillow.

"Oi have you heard that Sanji can barely restrain Luffy from supper! If you want some you gotta hurry!" explained Ace.

"Thanks, we're on the way!" Robin responded before Ace hurried the stairs down.

"C'mon Sanji give me some meat I'm so hungry!" Luffy tried to persude Sanji to give him some of the dragon goulash when Ace entered into the fresh air.

"Can't you at least wait for Nami and Robin?!" Sanji countered upset and pulled the pot from the fire and out of Luffys' reach.

"It's alright Sanji, here we are!" said Robin calm when she and Nami stepped out of the building.

"Nami~Swan, Robin~Chan! It is so cold outside, please have a seat close to the fire and eat some of the hot goulash I made for you!" Sanji said when he saw how Nami began to shiver while he filed two bowls with rice and goulash.

After everyone was provided with rice and goulash they started to eat, but it didn't take long till Luffy asked for a refill. When the group was more or less sated Nami began to yawn, "I'm too tiered to wait for Zoro and Kid. Nighty-night everyone!" Nami said getting up on her feet and walked back into the house.

"Thanks, have a wonderful night too!" Sanji responded flattered.

Short time after Nami left the fireplace Chopper stated to yawn as well and Robin asked him: "Hey Chopper why don't you go to bed as well."

"I'm too concerned about Zoro and Kid, what if they don't return?" Chopper said yawning.

"Well… if Zoro don't show up by his own, we can't do anything till Kid returns anyway and if Kid won't come back we probably will get lost in the forest and starve." Robin explained ghoulish and Chopper and Usopp looked at her with big appalled eyes.

"stop scaring that little moose and that long nose, we'll get along alone too." Ace said mature while Luffy started to laugh.

"I'm not a moose! I'm a reindeer!" Chopper yelled upset.

"Hihihi you shouldn't worry, Kid will return with Zoro…" Luffy said still laughing.

Just when Luffy stopped laughing, he and the others heard Kids' completely stressed out voice sound through the forest. "ZORO!"

"I'm gonna kill that bastard, how dare he to upset my lovely Kitty-Kid!" Sanji swore gnashing his teethes, while Luffy took his chance and snapped the pot from his ships cook away.

"Did you hear Kid? Everything's just fine… you can go to bed now…" Robin persuded Chopper when he yawned again and this time he listened to her and went to his sleeping-place.

After Luffy started to complain, because the pot was empty, Sanji woke from his rage agains Zoro and started to cuss his captain out. Just when Sanji started to cook a stew from the warthog Usopp was frightened witless by some rustling leaves. "WHAA IT'S A KILLER!" Usopp screamed in panic when he saw a shadow coming near, "WE'RE DOOMED! I HAVE TO HIDE MYSELF!" Usopp yelled standing up and ran into the house.

"SHUT UP, MAN!" Nami yelled sleepy from the house when Kid stepped out of the bushes, jerking an unconscious Zoro on his ankle.

"Oh Kitty~Kid dinner will be ready soon… I hope you'll eat tonight with us!" Sanji said madly in love when he added the last carrots to the stew.

Usopp returned to the doorway and walked out after he looked round the corner. "What happened to Zoro?" Usopp asked in another twinge of panic.

"Don't worry, I knocked him out…" Kid explained with an unfazed expression when she sat close to the fireplace down.

"What why?" Usopp asked puzzled while he approached the fireplace as well.

"I found that nuisance in the canyon five kilometers away from here, but less then three minutes later he was disappeared again!" Kid explained suppressing her anger by that memory, "so I had no other choice."

"You're so smart my dear Kitty~Kid." Sanji said when he handed her a bowl with stew over.

Kid inspected with risen eyebrows the stew before she took the spoon in the bowl and started to eat slowly.

"Would you like to try a bit of the stew as well?" Sanji asked Robin while he filled the next bowl.

"I want some!" Luffy yelled waving his hand.

Sanji gave Luffy an annoyed glance, but he dispensed to everyone a filled bowl. After Robin went to her sleeping bag, once she finished her serving, Zoro woke from his unconsciousness and got a bowl of stew as well.

"Tell me pill, why did you try to hide this picture in the dresser?" Ace asked and pulled the picture-frame out of his pocket when Luffy asked a third time for a refill.

"What?" all present asked and they looked first at the picture, then to Kid, whose expression was startled, and then back to Ace.

"Well… I didn't want to disquiet you guys unnecessarily… I mean cut out faces are pretty creepy. That picture was like this when I saw it for the first time" explained Kid credible, already calm again, but Ace wasn't convinced.

"W…what Y…you mean out there is someone how is mentally ill…" Usopp stammered, "what if that lunatic comes back and will be mad because we're in his house?"

"Listen, the only person you must fear is me!" Kid said with a sinister tone and smiled shifty, what caused Usopp to squeak while he hid behind Zoro.

"You're more afraid of her then of me? Huge mistake." Zoro murmured with a devilish smile, what let Usopp wince.

After some time passed everybody from the Straw Hats and Ace as well were getting tiered and so they decided to go to bed. When Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp and Ace stood up, Kid made no move and Sanji asked: "Don't you wanna go to bed as well, my sleeping beauty?"

After an annoyed snarl from Kid she answered sinister and starring at the house: "No… I will stand watch in case any unbidden guests are showing up."

"Unbidden guests?!" Usopp squeaked fearful.

"Don't worry, Usopp" said Luffy confident, "I'm sure we're completely save with Kid as a watchdog!" and so everyone except Kid went into the house. Before Kids cold look drifted to the dying coal an evanescent smile flashed over Kids face while the others went to their sleeping bags.

* * *

><p>Later that night Ace woke up but he let his eyes closed hoping he would fall asleep again; normally he doesn't have any problems to sleep. When he heard a creak from the stairs he opened his eyes and looked over to the source of noise, and he saw why he was woken up in the first place: there was Kid walking up the stairs with a burning candle in her hand. Ace stood up, he wanted to confront Kid why she was lying about the picture; something at the picture was so interesting but he couldn't tell what it was. While Ace walked the stairs up he saw how Kid opened the door of the second closest room to the stairs and walked into it, not realizing that she was followed. As Ace entered the room he saw Kid sitting on an old chair next to a baby crib, her back turned to the door.<p>

"Pill, you can fool my brother and maybe the others as well, but not me…" Ace started to talk while he approached her, but she didn't seem to bother to answer him, "Why have you been lying about that picture" he asked when he stood next to her; still no answer.

Just when Ace was about to start yelling at her, because he thought she was messing around with him, he noticed an old ripped picture lying on Kids' lab. It showed Kid when she was around seven years with a baby in her arms; even though the little Kid was smiling, there was no joy in her eyes, it rather seemed that she was afraid of something or someone. It seemed like the Kids were sitting on someone's fat belly, but the part of the picture where the face of the man would be visible was torn off. "Is that the same man from the other picture?" Ace asked curious when he saw how Kid was absentmindedly starring at the picture.

"I don't know what your talking about…" Kid mumbled dolefully; for Ace it was clear that she was lying.

"So you have no idea who those persons are on that picture?" Ace asked sarcastically, he knew he would draw Kid out, when he would aim at the empty picture-frames, "Even though that picture is precious enough to you to keep it?"

Kid snarled something under her breath that sounded like: "Just shut the fuck up…" before she stood up and walked over to the window and stared at the half-moon. It would always remind her on a promise, which was given to her long ago, "it's my brothers' favorite picture from us…" she wispered regretfully.

"Why do you have it then? Where's your brother?" Ace asked interested, he knew he wouldn't get any information about the man from Kid, at least not tonight.

"That's not your business, just leave me alone!" Kid said loudly when she turned around to Ace, but all a sudden her features slipped, while she looked terrified around.

Ace starred at Kid, for one second she had the same panic-stricken expression on her face as at the forest. "You don't have to tell me, if you don't want to!" Ace said with a wave of his hand, before he turned around and walked to the doorway, but then he said across his shoulder with a sassy tone, "but if you need any help handling a problem you aren't capable of solving, let me know."

`What a boastful jerk.` Kid thought irritated, again with a bugged look on her face while she watched Ace leaving the room, before her view wandered first to the baby crib, then she turned around to face the window again, `no one can help me.`

* * *

><p>Only A few hours later the guys were rudely awakened by Nami, Robin and Kid. "Everyone wake up!" Nami and Robin were yelling while they jolted their crewmates awake.<p>

"Breakfast's ready?" Luffy asked half asleep.

"You'll get it later!" Kid said just a bit irritated, she already knew that food was Luffys' only drive.

"Hey you, get up!" Kid said annoyed while she was trying to wake Ace up by kicking into his side before she added frustrated, "Jerk!" and went out side to wait for the others.

After the guys were half awake, the group followed Kid outside.

* * *

><p>Gosh, that was a long chapter, but at least is the plot going along, Yay!<p> 


	10. Chapter 9: Selvanio part 1

_Chapter 9: Selvanio part 1_

Outside it was still half dark and Kid was waiting at the forest edge. "Alright just to make things clear, this time I'm not going after anybody of you!" Kid explained strict and pulled out a rope, before she went towards Chopper who was talking to Zoro.

"What are you doing?" Chopper when Kid grabbed him from behind.

"Prevention." Kid said simply while she tide Chopper on Zoros' head.

"WHAT THE HELL!" started Zoro yelling but he only got a clout from Kid before Sanji could tear his eyes from Robin away.

"From now on you are responsible for Zoro!" Kid said seriously to Chopper, while Luffy, Usopp Nami, Sanji and Ace burst out into laughter even Robin started giggling.

"You can count on me!" Chopper responded earnest.

"Ace, do you think you can handle it to keep an eye on your brother, so he won't get lost?" Kid teased Ace.

"If you aren't capable doing that!" Ace retorted sassy.

Kid gave Ace a deadly glare before she shook irritated her head and said, "Alright people, the faster we ran the faster we get to the capital, so stick on me!" before she turned around and ran into the forest.

Zoro grumbled annoyed when the group followed Kid. On the way to Selvanio Chopper yelled almost every five minutes that Zoro was walking into the wrong direction Kid. "Kid! Please can we make a short break!" Nami and Usopp yelled after four hours running.

"Everybody Halt!" Kid commanded and the group came to a halt, "let's make five minutes break… Don't take your GPS down or I'm jerking you the rest of the way on your ankle with me!" Kid said when she saw how Zorro tried to undo the rope.

"I'M GOING TO KILL THAT JERK-OFF!" Kid screamed all a sudden while Sanji twit at Zoro.

"What happened?" asked Robin calm.

"Look who's missing?!" Kid said hackled up pointing at the group, "Your captain and Mister incapable himself!"

"Don't worry they were running five minutes ago right in front of me!" Nami said conciliating, "Robin can you find out where they are?"

"Sure!" Robin said with a smile and crossed her arms in front of her breasts and mumbled with closed eyes, "Ojos Fleur!"

Kid looked around and saw all a sudden eyes on some leaves and her expression changed from pissed off to surprised, while more and more eyes were sprouting almost everywhere.

"I found them!" Robin said after some seconds opening her eyes and lowered her arms, "They are not so far away."

"Why haven't you done that yesterday?" Kid said morose looking frustrated at Robin.

"You haven't asked…" Robin answered with an intimidated smile holding her hands up in defense.

"I hate my live…" Kid mumbled glumly, while she massaged her nose bridge. "Tell me where the fire dude is, so I can kick his ass." Kid said after she recollected herself.

"They are at a barrack in that direction." Robin said and pointed in the direction where Usopp sat.

"WHAT! NOWAY!" Kid yelled startled and ran in that direction.

"Where are you going?" Nami asked wondering following Kid.

"NOT YOUR BUSINESS, JUST STAY PUT!" Kid hollered across her shoulder and Nami froze.

`Please don't let Him be there` Kid thought terrified while she was running as hell.

* * *

><p>While Robin used her Devil Fruit Power Luffy and Ace were standing in front of a barrack. "Do you think we'll get something to eat in here?" Luffy asked after his stomach grumbled.<p>

"Let's find it out!" Ace said and knocked at the steel door.

"Who's there?!" a voice of a young man asked after his eyes appeared in the slit on the door, which he had opened with a jerk.

"Hi My name's Luffy and that's my brother Ace!" Luffy started to blather and just when he wanted to ask for food suddenly the man pointed a gun at Luffy and shot. The shot hit Luffy right between the eyes and went some centimeters though his head, but then the bullet slung back and hit the door. "That wasn't nice!" Luffy yelled unharmed yet annoyed and stretched his arm back, "Gum Gum!"

"What!?" the young man asked amazed.

"Pistol!" Luffy yelled before he threw a punch at the door.

With a hell for leather the door hit the man and dashed with him to the ground. Luffy entered the barrack, and there he saw shelves with food, many beds and three men standing around a fireplace in front of a door.

"Wow! You have so much food in here!" Luffy yelled astonished.

While Ace followed his brother the three baffled men took out their guns and shot at Luffy and Ace. But as before the bullets didn't harm anyone (the Bullets went through Ace' flaming body and Luffy slung them back). Ace stepped forward and fired with his Devil Fruit Powers like a gun yelling: "Fire gun!"

The three men went to the ground and didn't stir anymore. "Look at this Ace they even have rice! Sanji can make rice balls again!" Luffy said excited with a grin on his face.

* * *

><p>Meanwihle Kid had arrived at the barrack and she walked around it, hidden in the bushes, so no one would see her. When she arrived at the front of the barrack she watched wary at the entrance which was open. "Let's get the others here, so we can go back to our ship!" Kid heard Luffy saying before he and Ace walked out of the barrack.<p>

Kid breathed in and out before she ran hysterically out of the bushes: "WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN THINKING! CHARGING INTO A PILLBOX!?" Kid yelled hiding her nervousness and whacked Luffy and Ace with two painful clouts.

"Kitty-Cat we found loads of food, so we can return to our ship now!" Luffy yelled happily while Kid was jerking those two into the forest back to the rest of the group.

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!" Kid yelled angrily and nervously before she breathed through, "We can't take those nourishments."

"And why can't we do that?" Ace asked.

"That pillbox is for emergencies and the food is the emergency provision, in case the city has to be evacuated." Kid explained the earlier purpose of that barrack, but then she thought, `they are pirates, they don't care!`

"Really? Oh what a pity, then we can't take the food for ourselves!" Luffy said off-handily while Kid put another story in her head together.

"What? Really?" Kid asked stumbling over her own thoughts.

"Sure not!" Luffy said grinning at her and walked ahead to Zoro and the others.

Kid stood still and watched Luffy walking to the others. "That's my brother! He's not the brightest but he has his heart on the right spot." Ace said standing next to Kid, "You see, you can trust us…" Ace tried to convince Kid that they are good people and followed Luffy who narrated about the barrack and why they still have to go to Selvanio.

Kid looked perplex at Ace, Kid shook her head she couldn't be stupid enough to trust pirates, that would be just wrong. Kid walked over to the group and said in her aloof voice: "end of break, let's go to Selvanio!"

After another march of two hours the bright sunlight dazzled the group when they got out of the forest. In front of them extended a wall on both sides and in front of them was a gate. Kid walked to the gate, knocked at it and waited till an old, bald man stuck out his head. "What do you want?" the man asked with a grumpy voice.

"We want to top up or supplies!" Kid explained soberingly.

"And I want something to eat!" Luffy added childish.

"Yes, he wants something to eat…" Kid repeated gnashing her teeth while Luffy grinned at the man.

"Well, that would be 10 berry per nose then" The man said after he seemed a bit puzzled by Kids reaction.

"Are you kidding me?!" Nami yelled boiling with indignation, "90 berry so we can go into that stupid city, that's highway robbery!"

"Stop making such a fuss, we all know you are a money-grubbing bitch!" Zorro said irritated after he managed to get Chopper from his head and Sanji kicked him in his face.

"I'll pay the fee, For the sake of peace and quiet!" Kid said stressed out and paid the man, who opened the gate.

Luffy walked ahead and the rest followed him. "So what'll we do now?" Robin asked once the group was inside and the gate was closed again.

"How about going shopping?!" Nami suggested cheerfully, "I really need new cloths!"

"Again?!" Zoro asked impatiently.

"What do you mean by again last time I barley had time to look around!" Nami countered, would she had been honest she wanted to get Kid to buy some new clothes, but would she had been even more honest she just wanted to get new stuff for herself.

"a shopping tour was never a talking point!" Kid said and stopped Zoro, before he could complain because he and the other boys had to have acting as pack mules on the last island, but just when she wanted to continue.

"I'm Hungry!" Luffy interrupted Kid.

"Luffy, you always are…" Usopp corrected soberly.

"I wanna get a proper breakfast!" Luffy insisted while Kid glared at him.

"There won't be a place to get breakfast at this time!" Ace put in his two cents, because he saw that Kid started to be annoyed by that discussion; he just couldn't help he enjoyed it way too much to tease her.

"Then let's get lunch!" Luffy said while Kids face started to get a red tone by suppressing her ire.

"It's not time for lunch either." Sanji explained while Kid started to massage her nose bridge, to calm her nerves down.

"How about something like breaklunch?" Luffy said childish, what caused Kid to hold her breath, so she wouldn't explode.

"That already exist, it's called brunch!" Chopper joined the conversation.

"Are you sure?"

"Yep."

"WELL THEN LET'S GET SOM…!" Luffy started to shout out but Kid held his mouth with her hands shout after she breathed through.

"Listen up, I just want to get things done…" Kid said morosely looking around; even so she was relieved to see that they were the only people at this place. (Except the old man at the gates, who already noticed, that this group had a loose nut)

"What are you looking for?" Robin asked calmly.

"I'm trying to remember the way to the market." Kid answered simply.

"So you were already here?" Ace teased Kid

"I've never said the opposite." Kid snarled caustically.

"Why don't we split up and search for the market" Zoro suggested boredly.

"You would just get lost as always." Sanji said in a sharp-tongued voice.

"Looking for trouble, kitchen boy?!" Zoro yelled wrathfully with clenched fists.

"I'm up for it, moss head!" Sanji countered not less louder than his opponent.

But before Zoro and Sanji could start to trail their strengths those two received a head slap by Kid.

"Shut up, both of you." Kid said irritated but with controlled volume, "I have no nerves for your pissing-matches."

"What ever you wish, Kitty~" Sanji started to mumble when Kid cut him short.

"Just do me one favor and stop calling my name."

"Of course, my shining star…" Sanji answered at Kids request what Kid commented with an annoyed snarl.

"Let's just go this way!" Kid said frustrated while she walked towards an alley, turning the coats collar up; she really didn't feel like continuing that discussion.

While the Straw Hats and Ace were following Kid through the slightly vivid streets of the city, Kid glanced unobtrusively around it almost seemed as if she didn't wanted to be recognized.

When the group turned into a wide alley a woman, who looked only a few years older than Kid, approached them. All a sudden Kids' boots seemed to be much more interesting to her than the person passing them. But the woman suddenly stood still and turned a bit confused around. "Hang on one sec… don't we know each other?" asked the strange woman and the group stopped.

"That is rather unlikely my sunshine… but I would love to acquaint with you." Said Sanji, who had checked on the woman with the ash blond hairs (just as every young, halfway nice-looking woman they were passing)

"I'm sorry, but I didn't mean you." the strange woman adjusted while she passed Sanji to approach Kid and touched lightly on Kids shoulder.

"Not that I know." Kid answered in a neutral voice after she turned to the strange woman.

"Aren't you that little girl, who ran away from home?" the strange woman questioned.

"You have to mistaken me" Kid said.

"No, I'm positive, even if that's…" the woman whistled a bit of air through her mouth and stared at the sky, "haven knows how long ago… My mom bandaged your broken arm once, don't you remember?" the woman started to chatter.

"As I said, you have to mistaken me. " Kid repeated this time with a brittle undertone in her voice.

"How old were you back then?" Nami interfered in the discussion.

"I really don't know what that woman is talking about!" Kid asserted that she had no Idea what this was all about.

"We were both pretty young." the woman answered Namis' question, even though it was addressed to Kid, "so I don't exactly remember her name… I think it was something short with a K! Kathy?" asked the woman turned to Kid, but contradicted herself immediately, "No! Kiki? That's not right either! Kari? Kim, or something like that."

"This is getting annoying, we've better things to do… let's go!" Ace suddenly said bugged and walked ahead, just when Nami wanted to answer the woman's question.

The rest of the group said goodbye to the strange woman and continued their way immediately. After Kid caught up to Ace she gave him a short look before she walked ahead; Ace could have sworn that it was a thankful glance. When the Straw Hats, Ace and Kid reached the marketplace Sanji suggested: "How about splitting up in two groups? Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, Chopper and Ace can buy our provision for the desert while the rest of us will refresh our stores.

"Since when do you give the orders?" Zoro asked sharp-tongued.

"Just deal with it!" Sanji yelled angrily.

"You just want to be alone with the girls." Usopp stated the fact.

"Ace, why don't you join our group?" Nami asked suppressing a grin after she dealt out painful clouts, which ended the discussion between Zoro, Usopp and Sanji.

"Fine for me!" Ace declared himself ready to comply with that grouping.

After Nami ceded reluctantly some of her precious money to Chopper the group split into two groups.


	11. Chapter 10: Selvanio part 2

A special thanks to Cerryblossemaddict for her review.

In this chapter I have a christmas present for all the readers, more about it at the bottom.

* * *

><p><em>Chapter 10: Selvanio Part 2<em>

When Nami, Sanji, Robin, Ace and Kid reached their last stop at, the meat booth, Sanji was very pleased about the good quality of the beef the seller had to offer and told him what he needed. While Nami haggled with the seller, who wanted 6'300 berries, but Nami only had 5'020 Berries with her (and she was trying to get it for 4200 berries plus a carriage for their purchases) Ace approached Kid and said: "admit it, you know that woman from before?"

"Still don't know her!" Kid insisted with an aloof voice.

"Still not convinced that we are good people?" Ace asked with raised eye browns.

"I have my reasons to distrust folks like yours." Kid answered stiff and walked to Nami and the seller before she stopped bitterly the haggling, "stop annoying that man, I'll pay the difference"

After Kid had put out her money from her bag and gave 600 hundred berries to the seller (Nami had managed it to bargain the price down to 5'620 Berries) Nami gave disgruntled her last Berry to the seller. Before they went to the meeting point everyone loaded their purchases on the carriage, which Sanji will have been pulling.

Luffy, Zoro, Usopp and Chopper were waiting at an old well: Zoro was meditating (/sleeping) while Luffy, Usopp and Chopper were kidding around. "Finally! Now we can go to eat something!" Luffy yelled delightedly when he saw the rest of his crew Ace and Kid.

"We had just fifteen minutes ago brunch." Usopp said supinely.

"What?! Did you spend the whole money on food which was meant for our provision?" Sanji asked strictly.

"Yes…" Usopp and Chopper answered sheepishly, "But what should we have done Luffy was all a sudden disappeared, and when we found him it already was too late." The two defended themselves

"Don't act like you didn't were hungry at all." Zoro said mature with one opened eye glancing at them.

"AND WHY HAVEN'T YOU STOPPED THEM!" Sanji yelled as he saw that Nami was depressed, because all of her money she had taken from the ship was gone, and they didn't even have provisions to get back.

"SINCE WHEN DO I HAVE TO PLAY THEIR GOD DAMN BABYSITTER?!" Zoro retorted aggressively.

When Kid noticed that the people around the group looked exasperatedly to them and started whispering on the quiet while some of them were pointing at them she approached Zoro and Sanji and whacked their heads on each others.

"I can see stars dancing around you my shining star…" Sanji, who felt as well as Zoro to the ground, mumbled staring up to Kid.

"Nami I'm still hungry can we go to a restaurant?" Luffy asked his navigator.

"Luffy…" Nami snarled ominously, "Even if we would have money left now… WE WOULDN'T GO TO A RESTAURANT!" Nami yelled after she breathed in.

"BUT I'M STILL HUNGRY!" Luffy shouted whiningly back.

"For gods sake I'll lend you the money, you can give me the money back later." Kid said strainedly but added when she saw how Nami was about to say something against her compromise, "Never mind! Let me invite you for lunch… but please just be quiet!"

"You're the best Kitty-Cat!" Luffy yelled enthusiastically and wrapped his arms round Kid.

On Kids forehead pulsed a vain while she punched Luffy on his head till he was lying on the ground. Kid passed Luffy and walked towards a tavern, mumbling death wishes, while Ace helped Luffy to get back on his feet, before the Straw Hats and Ace followed Kid.

"All right, you can order whatever the heck you want, just stop acting flashily!" Kid said still hackled up while the group entered the tavern.

"Yahoo!" Luffy yelled and passed Kid to get to the bar.

Kid let her head hang and muttered in discontent, when she heard Luffy yelling his order to the barkeeper while Zoro ordered a barrel beer for himself as the waitress passed him.

"You have to accept that it's a physical impossibility for Luffy to act unobtrusively… just go with it." Robin said mature with a smile while the group sat down at a table in a corner of the tavern when Luffy approached them.

While the waitress brought the barrel beer and took the order from the rest of the group, Kid observed warily the room. "Excuse me…I'll have only a jar of water with a glass, please." Kid ordered politely but restrainedly after the waitress asked her a second time what she could bring for her.

"Never thought, I'd see you ever act good and proper." Ace teased Kid as soon as the waitress was gone.

Kid glared to Ace, his attitude pissed her totally off. `Calm down… it could turn out really bad if someone recognizes me!` Kid thought and was thankful that the waitress brought the first load of their order.

Kid watched indifferently how Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Robin and Ace were eating regardfully to protect their food from Luffy. "That was really delicious!" Luffy yelled when he leaned back in his chair holding his filled belly after half an hour, "Thank you Ki… Wuah!"

With a crash Luffy landed on the floor because Kid had thrown her empty jar on his head. "Haven't I told you, you shouldn't attract negative attention?" Kid asked grimly.

Luffy looked at her before he started to laugh: "Hihihi… don't worry Kid it's not like someone's chasing us…" but Nami gave him a clot.

"You keep forgetting that the Marine is after us, and here could are some bounty hunters as well!" Nami said sharply.

"As if they stand a chance against us!" Luffy grinned at Nami.

After the waitress brought the bill and Kid looked at the final total and looked bewilderedly in the round. "Are you nuts?! 30'850 Berrys!" Kid yelled in shock, "How am I supposed to pay that I have only 27'290 on me!"

"You said we can order whatever we want!" Ace smirked while Kid checked the bill and she saw that a certain someone had ordered several times the most expensive dishes (for Kid it was clear that it was the fire jerks' fault)

"You…" Kid snarled hateful but before she started to yell at him she reconsidered her anger and put her hands on the table and rose from her chair. Kid, who was tensed up, walked around the table, took Ace' cowboy hat away and approached the bar. "What the heck!" Ace yelled but Kid gave him another hateful glare across her shoulder and he mumbled, "Gosh she really doesn't get jokes."

"You have to admit that you enjoy it to tease her…" Robin chuckled, what caught Luffys attention for a second, but then he saw a leftover of one of the pork and his mind was lost, while Kid was talking to the barkeeper.

"Don't be ridicules… she's annoying as heck…" Ace said casually and ended that discussion.

At first the barkeeper, Kid was talking to, seemed to be really displeased, but then his face lightened up a bit and he nodded. While the host searched for a free chair Kid started to fish out of her messenger bag some wooden pieces on which were some metal hinges attached. After Kid pulled out an Allen wrench of her bag she took her coat off before she began to screw the wooden pieces to a guitar together. When the Barkeeper brought her a chair Kid took of her coat and hung it over the back of the chair, as well as Ace' hat before she took her guitar and tuned it, then she sat on the chair and begun to play an oriental melody. While Kid was playing the melody to get into the rhythm, some of the guests at the tavern stopped chatting and listened interested to the foreign sound.

"Awesome she's a musician!" Luffy said enthusiastically.

Kid paused playing the guitar and said loud enough that every person who was listening would understand it:

"Secret"

Kid slapped her hand genteelly against the guitar before she played it again and sang:

"No one knows what happened  
>Of the people that I see<br>Nobody figures it out  
>They just can't apprehend<br>No one knows the problem  
>That's affecting me<br>Just can't entrust them  
>'Cause I know what it's all about<p>

Dolefully glances won't help at all  
>I'll make it by myself just let me fall<br>I can do it by my own  
>Just leave me alone<br>Don't bother me  
>Why won't you see?"<p>

While she was singing Kids eyes looked through the rows of interested listeners, while also the rest of the tavern started to fall silence, when she sang the refrain:

"This is my secret  
>I'll never let you know<br>It stays my secret  
>That I won't ever show<br>This is my secret  
>I'll never let you know<br>It stays my secret  
>That I won't ever show"<p>

Kid really was hoping that nobody would recognize her as the little girl who ran away from home, while she sang the second strophe:

"Stop question about it  
>I keep it wrapped tight<br>You'd better won't elicit  
>Fear the beast inside<br>Like a deep black sea  
>Where everything is concealed<br>Though it's haunting me  
>I will never let it be reveled<p>

Dolefully glances won't help at all  
>I'll make it by myself just let me fall<br>I can do it by my own  
>Just leave me alone<br>Don't bother me  
>Why won't you see?<p>

This is my secret  
>I'll never let you know<br>It stays my secret  
>That I won't ever show<br>This is my secret  
>I'll never let you know<br>It stays my secret  
>That I won't ever show"<p>

Kid stopped singing and played a solo before she adjusted the speed to a slower rhythm and accelerated the rhythm, while she started to sing the last refrain.

"This is my secret  
>I'll never let you know<br>It stays my secret  
>That I won't ever show<br>This is my secret  
>I'll never let you know<br>It stays my secret  
>That I won't ever show"<p>

Kid became silent while she played a last time the slow melody. Afterwards the last tone was played Kid stood up, grabbing after Ace' hat: "If you liked that song, please show me your appreciation of this performance by contribute some allowance to the bill of mine and my companions." Kid said with an elegant word choice and let the hat passing around. Meanwhile Ace' hat was passing around Kid played another enchanting melody, which also appealed to the fans of the regional music (western style).

After Ace' hat returned to Kid she saw that it was filled with money, she rose and walked to the table of where the Straw-hats and Ace were sitting, counting the money.

"That was awesome! I didn't know you're a musician!" Luffy said thrilled in a loud tone, "Now you have to join my crew for sure! Then we can enjoy your music everyday from now on! This is gonna be so awesome!"

Kid stopped sorting the money and laid it on the table before she said in her cold voice:"listen up there is no way that I'd ever join a pirate crew."

"Why not, it's going to be fun…" Luffy said lacking in understanding.

"I don't want to become a pirate and that's it." Kid insisted.

"But how am I supposed to get on without you, my lovely Kitty-Kid!" Sanji whined and suddenly Kid sensed some glances on her.

"How often should I say that I don't want anybody to call me this way!" Kid said grimy, "And stop making a fuss the people are already staring at us! Now grab your stuffs and let's keep going." Kid said after she recognized how two men hurried to the bar so they could pay their bill.

"But where should we go to? I don't think that money will cover the bill and a harborage." Nami interposed.

"We're going back to the house, right now." Kid said lowering her voice so the two men, who were passing them, wouldn't get a chance to hear what she'd been saying.

"But we couldn't buy anything for Eqrado yet." Robin remembered the others.

"We have to go to the town hall tomorrow morning, there we can make applications for the nourishments of Eqrado without charges."

"I don't wanna walk six hours through the forest, only to walk another six hour walk", Usopp complained while the rest were taking their stuff.

"You can give your thanks to mister Fire Fist!" Kid accused Ace with a look of reproach on him.

"What? Why should that be my fault?" Ace asked angrily.

"Because I'm absolutely sure, that you are the one who ordered the filet mignons and the crème brûlées and that's why the bill is so high!" Kid argued bad tempered and her worries that she already was in trouble receded into the distance, to important was the feud against this boastful pirate.

"Even if I ordered five filet mignons and three crème brûlées, you said we could order what ever we want, so stop bitching around!" Ace retorted headedly.

"Come on, stop that" Nami said while she took her bag from her chair.

"It doesn't make any sense to dispute about it, it already happened." Robin tried to reconcile but without success.

"You ignorant pirate, I helped you and your friends to get here, even though I hate your gut's Not that you care, but don't you think I have better stuff to do than play babysitter? I guess that's in the nature of shitty pirates to act all selfish!" Kid explained her point of view.

"Have you ever listened to yourself?!" Ace said furiously "Geez what ever made you hate pirates, it's your own fault!"

"How dare you to speak to Kid like that!" Sanj edged him self into the dispute.

At the last words of Ace Kids face became even more sinister before she closed her eyes. Kid took her half filled glass and emptied it at once and slammed it back before she rose from her chair putting her money on the table as she snarled icily: "I'm so sick of this, goodbye forever…" and Sanji became silent.

Kid turned away from the table and walked towards the door. "But Kid you can't just let us hanging…" Nami, Lysop and Chopper began to complain in a worried tone and wanted to follow Kid, but then Kid gave them a horrific glare across her shoulder and the three froze in shock.

After Kid had left the tavern Sanji yelled at Ace "What's gotten into you, go and apologize to Kitty-Kid!"

"No way, it's not my problem if she can't take criticism!" Ace said indifferent.

"That really was redundant; we don't know what happened back then." Robin addressed mature.

"Right, you know just as good as I do how some pirates are!" Nami added.

"She's the one who act like she's something special" Ace returned

"She is something special!" Sanji said and was lost in a dream of him and Kid together.

"Yo people let's go, otherwise we won't reach the house before the sun goes under!" Zorro said and rose from his chair.

"What about our Casanova?" Usopp asked in a bored way pointing with his thumb at Sanji.

"Just leave him behind…" Zoro answered indifferently but Sanji just woke from his dream.

"What was that? Have you been talking about me, moss ball?!" Sanji asked angrily jumping up from his chair.

"Who else should be meant, ero-cook?!" Zoro gave the insult back.

"Where would you go anyway? You have the sense of direction of a stone!" Sanji retorted, but before Zoro insult him again both of them were wacked by Nami.

"I love you when you're mad Nami-Swan…" Sanji mumbled half-consciously.

"Let's leave" Ace said while Robin went with Kids' money to the bar and gave it to the host before she returned to the table.

"But what do we do about Kid?" Nami said worriedly she didn't want to give up on her plan.

"Yeah, I want her in my crew!" Luffy insisted on his own plan.

"Forget about her, you'll find another musician, little bro!" Ace said indifferently.

"I think he don't know his brother at all." Usopp muttered to himself while Chopper nodded in agreement.

"No I want her in my crew, so you better apologize to her!" Luffy demanded.

Ace just looked at Luffy with one risen eyebrow, as if he would ever apologize to that shrew: "What a great crew member who just take off when ever she feels like it!" Ace assessed a bit haughtily, "but right now I can't do anything anyway."

"regarding that point your brother is right, I think we should leave things as they are for today, maybe Kid just needs to compose her mind and comes back to the house later on." Robin said but by reconsideration Kids grudge against pirates she added, "or she may comes back to stab us all while we're asleep."

"I don't want to be stabbed while I'm sleeping, in fact I don't want to be stabbed at all" Chopper said fearful while Usopp was shivering.

"Don't be ridicules, Kid would never do such a thing" Nami said allaying Robins accusations.

"Robin's right, let's go back to the house and wait for Kid while Sanji cooks supper!" Luffy decided eagerly and so the group left the tavern.

On the way to the entrance of the city it didn't took long for Ace to notice that he and the others were observed and persecuted by someone.

* * *

><p>That song above is originally a German song that I've tried to translate (I know normally songs aren't completely in rhymes, but I couldn't help myself I like to rhyme (if there are some parts in that song which don't rhyme with each other or don't make sense please consider that I'm not a native English speaker, but I really tried my best)) the Singer is called <strong>Maya Saban<strong> and the song is called **Geheimnis** (Secret), if you like you can check the melody out on youtube. Please let me know if you want more of this translated songs (not that every song I used for that ff is in German, but I could translate some of it) or if I should search only for English songs.

I wish you all a happy Christmas and a merry new year ( or better said the opposit XD)!


	12. Chapter 11: Selvanio part 3

Hey Every one sorry that I didn't post a chapter for that long, but I hope you're still interessted in that story!

_Chapter 11: Selvanio part 3_

"I have sight of the group but our target isn't with them… how shall we proceed?" A man said in low voice into his Transponder Snail; he was standing in the shadow of a house and was watching the Straw Hat Pirate and Ace leaving the tavern.

"So she did notice you and Sandro leaving the tavern… stay tuned to them I'm sure they will meet up again." Came the answer from the Transponder Snail. "Any sign from Sandro yet?" transmitted the Transponder Snail.

"Not since we split. It is…" started the man but he couldn't complete his sentence, because he felt a sting on his neck before he collapsed and lost consciousness.

"What is going on?!" the Transponder Snail yelled before she was smashed by someones' foot.

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><p>While Nami tried to guide the group back to the entrance of the city, also Zoro noticed that some people followed them. When they entered a small alley Sanji suddenly asked in a low voice: "Am I imagening stuff or are we followed by some people over and over."<p>

"No shit, Sherlock!" Zoro teased Sanji.

"Looking for trouble, moss head?!" Sanji insulted loudly back.

"Please stop making trouble, we already have enough problems…" muttered Usopp pre-tiered. (Because he knew they would have an even longer walk back to the house then before now, that Kid was missing and it already affected him)

"Where is that woman who had been with you in the restaurant earlier?" asked suddenly a deep frightening voice, which caused Usopp to stay with weak knees right behind Luffy and Ace while Chopper hid behind a barrel. (Or better said just his right hoof while the rest of his body was still be seen)

"Who is that?!" Usopp asked worried, still trying to act brave looking upwards where the voice was heard from.

"What do you want from Kid?" Luffy asked defiantly because he noticed now as well that he and the others had been surrounded.

"She has to deleverage some debts." Said a cloaked man, he was standing on the roof of a house.

"That doesn't sound like Kid to me…" Robin whispered while Sanji stood protective in front of her and Nami; for her it always seemed that Kid wanted to be independently

"She's no longer accompanying us," Ace said factually before his voice added more urgently, "So you better let us pass if you don't want trouble."

"Schahaha haven't you noticed yet that you are surrounded by my men!" laughed the cloaked man.

"WHAT WE ARE SURROUNDED?!" Usopp screamed in shock when suddenly something came falling from above and landed next to Usopp, what caused him almost a panic attack when he saw that it were two bodies.

"What are you? The head idiot?" a more familiar voice was heard from above.

"Kitty~Kid, you're back!" Sanji burst out joyfully when he and the others caught sight of Kid, who was sitting on the roof vis-à-vis of the house on which the cloaked man had been standing; her left ankle was lying on her knee while she was bent over with folded hands, and a pugnacious smile was on her lips.

"You haven't noticed that I put more then half of your men out of action?" Kid demanded, who seemed somehow stiff, even though her voice and her posture spook the opposite, "If I were you Chopper I would hide somewhere else, because right behind the mural to your right side are standing five men..." Kid mentioned parenthetically when she jumped from the roof and leaned with arms crossed against the wall, After Chopper jumped in the air he hid behind Zoro who had his hand already on one of his katana.

"Schahahaha so you finally came to square your debts!" The cloaked man interpreted Kids' sudden appearance.

"I don't know about any debts of mine." Kid said indifferently.

Suddenly the cloaked man raised his hand and showed his palm to Kid and the rest of the group revealing a scar: two Vs crossed each other but one of it was upside down (it looked almost like a diamond with longer ends). "Your father made sure that you would never forget our sign.", The man said mercilessly when he saw Kid's eyes narrowing, "He told us that if he wouldn't be capable of paying the 40 million Berries he "borrowed" from us back within four years that you would undertake his debts. The deadline is already since more than 7 years over! I'm sure I don't have to mention the interests and the compound Interests" finally the man exposed his face, by putting back his hood; on his face were even more scars the same symbol as on his hand.

`Somehow this man remembers me of someone…` it sprang in Zoros' mind and he gave Nami a stealthy glance. As compared to Luffy and Sanji, who were both thrilled because Kid came back, Nami was dreaming about the cartloads of money the cloaked man was talking about and what she would do with it. While Usopp and Chopper where just afraid as chickens Robin looked interested at the marks on the mans' face. Ace seemed to be the only one who was attentively, not because he was afraid, but he happened to hear Kid snarling under her breath disparagingly: "That bastard…"

After another man jumped down the roofs to the mans' side he said: "Boss we changed up positions, now she has no chance to escape!"

"I claim what is due to me…", said the man contentedly and added sinisterly, "And if you don't cooperate we have to use force."

"Listen up, she don't have any money, she was so kind to buy us something to eat. We didn't know she owes you money!" Luffy said jauntily while Usopp was pulling on his coat because he wanted to spotlight that there appeared also three other gestalts from behind the mural.

"Oh that's no problem for us", said the boss leering at Kid, while even more people appeared on the roofs, "We don't want money from her anyway, her father said she would pay us in kind." The boss explained with a smirk and licked over his lips.

When Luffy and the other Straw hats heard that they got more intently; Sanji pulled Nami and Robin closer to Kid before he and Zoro, who had his hand on his sword, stood before them and encircled them with Luffy and Ace, still with crossed arms but strained muscles. Nami took out her bo-staff and Robin crossed her arms before her breast. Even Usopp took out his slingshot and Chopper grasped on a rumble ball in his pocket but they made sure that they would stay close to Luffy and Zoro. Luffy was very angry and pointed with his index finger at the boss and yelled: "I want Kid to become a member of my crew! I won't let you eat her!"

There was a moment of awkward silence before Luffys words stroke the rest of the straw hats, Ace and Kid down to the ground, even the boss and the other enemies gave Luffy a bewildered look.

"Guys, that's not part of your business, that's a matter among them and me" Kid said disapprovingly while she stood up her narrowed eyes still fixed on the boss, "So you'd better back off!"

All Straw hats turned their heads to Kid, Ace on the other hand looked with a risen eyebrow to the boss and the other man and said with a grin: "You are some lucky bastards, otherwise you'd have me to struggle with." then he said across his shoulder, all eyes of the straw hats were on him, "Let's keep going guy's, if Kid wants to take them down on her own, it's her decision!"

"Well the rest of you is of course free to leave!" said the boss.

"But..." Nami began urgently when she saw Ace nodding unobtrusively to the roof where some figures had been gathering, ready to strike.

"Ace's right Kid knows what she's doing." Zoro said after he saw Robin nodding as well in the same direction as Ace did.

Just when Luffy and Sanji wanted to protest (Luffy because he didn't wanted to let the fight slip through his fingers and Sanji because he didn't wanted to leave Kid behind with those men) Ace and Zoro put their hands over Luffys' and Sanjis' mouths and tugged the two with them. "I guess you're right." Nami said slowly and she gave Chopper and Usopp who seemed both a bit confused by the sudden mood change a nudge to tell them `just go with it`

"All right let's get out of her!" Usopp said in a relieved manner.

"Are you sure, she'll be alright?" Chopper asked worriedly to Usopp, even though Kid had a frightening vibe, Luffy seemed having faith in her friendship and so Chopper wouldn't doubt on it either.

"You'd be better worried for them, because I won't get easy on them!" Kid said with a pugnacious and confided grin on her face cracking her knuckles, "Yo 20 greenhorns on the other side of the roof you'd better stand out of the battle, because I dislike fighting people who are so far away from matching my strength." Kid yelled up to the roof.

"Oi I'd never leave my helpless Kitty-Kid behind!" Sanji started to protest after he bite in Zoros' hand but he got whacked by Zoro and Kid before he and Luffy, who still wouldn't want to miss the fight were dragged away by Zoro and Ace while the rest followed them.

"Kitty-Kid what an endearing nickname" smirked the boss, while he and his man let the Straw Hats and Ace pass.

"Kid, give them hell!" Nami cheered Kid on after she stopped and turned around before she and the rest of the Straw hats and Ace walked away.

The group walked composedly away (except for Zoro and Ace, who were still jerking Sanji and Luffy with them) while Chopper and Usopp pulled and pushed the carriage away. When they came to a cross road and they were sure they weren't fallowed they took the right road, as soon as they were out of sight of Kid and the strangers they left the carriage behind and started to run while explaining the plan to Luffy and Sanji.

Luffy still was upset about the fact that he couldn't fight but Sanji seemed a bit relieved by the fact that Kid would get some backup. When the group saw some gestalts on top of a roof waiting for their boss to give them instructions, Luffy stretched his arms and griped one of them only to smash him into four others of them. Before the others on the roof could even turn around Zoro, Sanji and Ace jumped on the roof and sliced, kicked and burned them. Luffy meanwhile gripped Nami, Usopp and Chopper and catapulted himself and them to the chimney on the roof. Nami, Usopp and Chopper who had closed their eyes while they flew through the air now clung to the chimney their eyes still closed in fear. "Shoot we are too late!" Luffy complained what caused Sanji to run up to him in worries.

"No way, Kid can't be gone!" Sanji said when he reached Luffy, Nami and Usopp.

Sanji eyed to the street in front of them and saw that Kid already defeated all enemies except their boss.

When Kid looked up to the boss she said: "stop letting your minions fight your battles!"

"Don't you think you should not be too confident, Kitty-Kid!" said the boss while he took of his cloak of and revealed almost a dozen weapons. He almost had everything on him from two sais (stabbing weapons, which look a bit like a trident, they are used in certain asian fight styles) to some shuriken (ninja misiles), he even had a ferric-chain with a knife at the end strapped on his chest.

Kid didn't seem to be impressed at all when the boss took out the two sais and ran towards. When one of the other men stood up too and started to ran towards Kid as well Sanji run downwards the roof, he wanted to be the brave rescuer who jumped right in front of his beloved to saver her. But just when Sanji jumped down from the roof gutter Kid bent forward and pushed herself with her Hands from the ground to twist herself around. The two opponents fell both to the ground, because they were hit by Kids legs and Kid kicked Sanji back to the roof while she jumped back on her feet. "How often should I tell you, that I'm fighting my own battles, SO STAY OUT OF THEM!" Kid shouted, after she turned around upwards while Chopper went concerned to Sanji who landed on top of the roof.

While the other man was knocked out the Boss jumped up to his feet and ran with risen sais, ready to stab Kid, who still didn't face him. When the sais spear through Kids shoulders Kid started to smile pugnaciously and she said in her dangerous calm way: "Thank you very much!"

"For what are you thanking me?" the boss asked arrogantly.

Suddenly everything went quickly, Kid ran towards the house wall and run it two big steps upwards before she jumped behind him. She gripped his arms from below and twisted them around, before she made him stab himself through the neck (the sais where crossing each other like an X).

"Therefore that you did exactly what I wanted and let me kill you without hesitation." Kid whispered to the boss who looked totally shocked, before she cut through his neck by pulling the sais away from her.

Blood splashed out of the wound before the boss sunk to the ground. When the straw hats and Ace came down from the roof Nami and Usopp shrieked because they saw the blood on the wall and on the ground around the boss.

Kid walked to the boss and turned him around to check that he was definitely dead she kneed down and closed his eyes before she took away his ferric-chain.

"What are you doing, aren't you ashamed?" Ace asked when he saw Kid putting the ferric-chain around herself.

"I only defended myself!" Kid answered calm.

"That's not the point!" Ace said harshly, "you are stealing from a dead man; I thought you have your principles!"

"I paid him respect; therefore I take something from him." Kid explained like it was totally obvious for her, before she said to the others "We'd better go, it won't last long till the police arrive."

"W…what is with the rest of them? D… did you kill them as well?" Chopper wanted to know even when he was afraid to hear the answer.

"If you want to you can check but they are just unconscious." Kid said calm when she stood up and walked towards the others.

"Really?" Chopper asked confused.

"Yes, they are." Kid said plain, "Let's go back to the house!" Kid added while she passed the group.

Luffy started following Kid without hesitation but then somebody grabbed his ankle. Luffy stopped and turned around looking down one of the defeated men who seemed to be in pain.

"You are pirates aren't you?" the man pressed the words out.

"Yes, we are and I'm gonna be King of the pirates!" Luffy introduced his goal.

"you probably won't if you follow that evil demon." The man panted as he coughed in pain, "she's a crazy killer; she killed dozens of pirates at the age of 15 !"

As Usopp and Chopper clutched in fear at each other Nami looked worried in Robins direction while Zoro, Sanji and Ace stared down to the man "So take my advice and run off as long as you can."

Suddenly Luffy leaned forward with an earnest face, he grabbed the man's head and sad imitating Kids terrifying calm voice. "I don't care about some ones past, she's a friend of mine and that's all I have to know, so you better watch your words."

"You're gonna regret it; she's a monster!" the man snarled.

"She's a monster? That's sounds so cool!" Luffy said suddenly thrilled and let go of the man's head as he jumped up on his feet to run after Kid.

"Oi, Oi you really aren't as intimidating as Kid!" Zoro commented on Luffys imitations before he followed his Capitan as well as Sanji, Robin and Ace, "common guys don't be afraid, you know you can't argue with his decisions anyway" he added as he realized that Nami, Usopp and Chopper were still concerned.

"I…I'm not afraid I just wanted to comfort Chopper!" Usopp said trying to overplay his fear.

"If Usopp's not afraid I will follow Kid as well!" Chopper said trying to make a brave face while Luffy caught up with Kid

"Kid I heard you are a monster did you eat a devil fruit as well, comon show me your monster form!" Luffy requested exidetly.

"You wanna know something… Come a little closer so I can tell you a secret…" Kid said surprisingly good-humored showing Luffy with a gesture to come nearer to her. As Luffy approached Kid, she placed a hand on his earlobe and pulled it towards her. "You're such an annoyance!" Kid said loudly and clearly after Luffy howled in pain before she let go of is earlobe so it swung back and Luffy fell to the ground.

As Nami saw how Kid interacted with Luffy she had to giggle a bit before she approached them, Kid wouldn't harm them.

"That wasn't a good secret!" Luffy said a bit sulky.

"Lets keep going otherwise the police will show off!" Kid explaind, "Come on the sooner we go the sooner Sanji can cook supper" Kid added as she saw that Luffy didn't move at all.

`Some how Kid seems to be less strung up then before, maybe she trusts us now.` Nami thought gladly as Luffy get up on his feet to ran ahead.

"Luffy Stop it, you don't know the way!" Nami yelled annoyed, "He's such a ding-dong." She mumbled frustrated as the group ran after Luffy. It didn't took long till Kid caught up with Luffy and stopped him by pulling at his earlobe. Again Luffy howled in pain while the rest closed the gap on them.

Kid took again over the lead and guided the group back to the wall of the city without making a detour. The group remaind silent, but when the group exited the city Usopp finally plucked up the courage to ask the question which was in his mind since the man told them that Kid was a killer: "Kid, did you really kill pirates earlier?"

Kid glared at Usopp and when his legs shook in fear her indifferent answer was: "It's your decision what you want to believe in that matter, I don't want to talk about the past."

"Don't you think it could help you to get over with it, I just think what we heard so far from your father sounds pretty traumatizing." Robin suggested while Kid turned around to continue her way towards the forest.

"Robin I hardly believe that a father could be capable of doing that…" Nami whispered concerned she didn't want Kid to feel again uncomfortable.

Suddenly Kid stopped and punched her fist at the tree next to her. While the tree shook so hard that some leaves fell down to the ground the Straw hats and Ace looked at Kid. "You have no idea what he's capable of…" Kid said her voice trembling with rage.

"Kid… if you want to you can tell us everything…" Nami started hesitantly.

"JUST SHUT UP!" bursted out loudly before she ran off.

Almost immediately everybody followed her, but Ace was the only one who was able to caught up with her after he pushed himself to his limit. As he reached her he grabbed her arm and flung her against a tree and pushed his hand against it to stop her from running away again. "Why can't you just tell us what's wrong?!" Ace yelled at her.

"You just won't get it, it's not your fucking business!" Kid snarled glaring at Ace.

When Luffy caught up with them he took a breath before he said: "I think it's okay if she don't want to tell us about it, I won't mind it anyway."

"Thank you very much!" Kid said wryly, but then Sanji appeared and smacked Luffy at the head.

"How can you say something like this, I'd die to know more about my sweet Kitty-Kid!" Sanji said upset as Zoro approached them as well as Chopper and Robin (she held her hurting side).

When Usopp and Nami reached the group at last they were out of breath. Nami took a few breaths bending forward before she looked to Kid and said: "Kid I thought we are friends, why else should you have returned to us?"

Namis words took Kid by surprise, she didn't know why she cared about those pirates; somehow she felt a bit responsible for them. Kid leaned against the tree and looked for some seconds upwards, how could she let that happen?

When Chopper looked to Kid he realized that she was wounded "Kid your wounded! I thought that was the blood of the man you…!" Chopper started to say but before he could end the sentence he cringed at the thought.

"Don't worry about it, it's nothing." Kid said indifferently.

"But you need a doctor… Where is a doctor?!" Chopper started panicking "Oh I'm the doctor!" Chopper said suddenly realizing that he was the one able to help her.

"It's really not a big deal!" Kid insisted that she was okay, "Let's go back to the house." Kid added calmly before she pass walked Ace and the rest.

Luffy and the rest followed Kid to the house in silence.

* * *

><p>I know I have sometimes a pretty sickening imagination (but keep in mind it's just a fictive story, especially for later.) next Chapter will come up sooner I promise!<p> 


	13. Chapter 12: Lost Childhood

Update my **, seriously? To who ever wrote that review wouldn't it have been enough just to ask when the next chapter is coming and that you like that story? I know I wrote that the next Chapter would be up sooner, but I thought I should write a bit in advance so I can update without long pauses… but I guess that wasn't a good idea as well (so sorry for that). At least I could write three Chapters ahead… but now I won't let the impatient readers wait any longer.

_Chapter 12: Lost Childhood_

* * *

><p>When the group reached the house it was already dark. Ace inflamed the fire pit in front of the house while Luffy started to complain how hungry he was. Sanji went to the fireplace immediately and started to cook supper while the rest of the group approached the fireplace. After Kid sat down Chopper came to her and said: "Kid take off your shirt, so I can doctor you!"<p>

Kid looked annoyed at Chopper and flicked one of her fingers against his head.

"Ouch! What was that for?" Chopper said rubbing his hurting forehead.

"Like hell I would take off my shirt!" Kid responded disgruntled, but then she became silent again.

"Kid, what's the matter?" Nami asked when she sat next to Kid, "Don't you trust us at all?"

"Well, if you never learned how to trust anybody, it's pretty hard to do that." Kid explained looking up into the night sky while the others looked to her.

Some time went by as Kid closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she looked in the round and said: "Okay, I will tell you what happened when I was younger."

When Luffy heard that he stood up and pass walked the group. "Luffy, where are you going!?" Sanji asked discontentedly.

"I'm not interested in hearing that, it won't change anything for me." Luffy answered and added as he walked to the house, "I'm taking a nap, call me when suppers ready."

Sanji seemed like he wanted to kick Luffy, for his behavior, but Kid said: "Just leave him, if he don't want to hear it, it's fine with me…"

"What ever you say my understanding Kitty~Kid!" Sanji said what caused Kid to massage her nose bridge to calm herself down.

"Alright… where should I start?" Kid asked herself after she took another deep breath, it really got her to talk about her past, "When I was little my father used to beat me and my mother up because all he wanted was a boy. In the network meet earlier having a daughter is the biggest disgrace possible and the women are only cherished when they are pregnant and it is only going on if they have a boy. I only survived because my mother put her live at risk to protect me. When I was seven years old my mother got pregnant again and she came at first to me and told me that she wouldn't be able to shelter me from my fathers sulkiness, she couldn't risk her and the babies' life, hoping that if she'd got a boy everything would change for the better. Of course the beating of me didn't stop." Kid stopped the narrative shortly to clear her throat.

"Why didn't your mother just take you and left him?" Robin asked in shock while the others looked disgusted by what they heard from Kid.

"I guess people are just blind and cling to their hopes sometimes." Kid explained but she sounded like she experienced that this was the wrong thing to do. "When my father brought my mother to the hospital I run away from home. Because he tried to make sure that I wouldn't leave I had a broken leg. After a long time in the forest I met the mother of that woman from earlier, she took me to her home and doctored me. It didn't took long till my father showed up after I told her where my parents are, he threatened her and her whole family with his network if she'd call the police. When my father and I where alone at home he trounced me again but that wasn't enough humiliation that time." Kid had started to knead the skin of her underarm, she had a lump in her throat which she couldn't swallow.

"What happened?" Nami asked desperately while tears burned in her eyes when she hold out a bottle of water to Kid.

"He raped me…" Kid answered with a trembling voice, everybody around was shocked by hearing that, "the reason he gave me was that if I'm old enough to run away I was also old enough for that... When my mother came back with my brother I explained to her what he did to me but she didn't believed me, all she said was that my father was right about beating me when I'm telling horrible lies like that." When Kid saw the pitiful faces, she realized that she let her guard down in front of people she should dislike. "should I stop? it keeps getting uglier." Kid said in her normal offish manner after another sip of the bottle.

Ace was the first who was able to speak after he took a deep breath: "How often did that happened?"

"Every week, when he send away my mother with Tommy for a walk. It went on like this for several months until one day my mother returned earlier. When she opened the door to their bedroom she saw him over me… but instead of saying or doing something she turned around and left, that was the last time that I saw her." As Kid continued the Straw hats and Ace turned even paler, "She dropped everything and left, she didn't even bother to take Tommy with her, but I knew I couldn't do the same thing to my little brother. It kept getting worse and worse and every time I did or said something wrong he trounced me. One day after a transponder snail call he was so frantic that he even hit Tommy." By telling that the anger shined through Kids cold manner, what showed the Straw hats and Ace her attachment for her brother, "I tried to stop him but then he turned against me and larruped me till I was unconscious. When I woke up my brother was still crying and everywhere was blood; he cut the symbol of the network into my back. He was out to a meeting with his network, After I treated my wound as good as possible I took the chance to run away with my little brother. That time I took another route and we ended up in the desert eventually. We went through the desert only having a small amount of water and a bit of provision. When ever we crossed the way of one of the desert creatures I took my brother on my back and run off to safety till I was completely exhausted. In the end we were very lucky that it gave a shower once. After approximately one week of errantry we reached the ocean. A pirate crew anchored there, they just burned down a village, because they had a part of a map, which's supposed to show the ways to every treasure in the world." Kid stopped again and took another sip of water.

"A map which suposse to show the way to every treasure in the world…" Nami said with a whiff of excitement in her Voice, "How does that work?"

Kid looked a bit disgruntled at Nami and said: "Why should I know that, I never cared about it" Nami shrank back ashamedly about her excitement, she knew Kid wouldn't hate pirates for no reason, "However as I found out about the sack of the village it already was too late to get away because my brother and I were already in their middle. In order to protect my brothers and my life I decided to join them after they threatened us. Time passed by as I worked as a maid-of-all-work on their ship, at least my brother and I had every day a warm meal and they let us be. After the marines attacked us and didn't bother to listen to what I was saying, the Capitan taught me on my request how to fight so I would be able to protect myself and my brother. My plan was to hang on till the Captain would be in the best possible mood, which would be when they'd found all parts of the map. Then I'd asked him to leave me and Tommy on the next Island to life a peaceful life." Explaining her goal a shimmer of hope appeared in Kids eyes, "I really thought that I could shelter him from every harm and I hoped so much for a life far apart from those ruthless pirates." As she continued with a trembling Voice she looked sadly into the flames. Suddenly Kids mood swung to hopelessness "But it was only a matter of time until the pirates would show their true faces." Kid took another sip of the water to clear her throat .

"What happened then" Chopper asked being on edge, it was clear they would soon know how it came that Kid heated pirates so much.

"When the they found the last part of the map, they were cheerful and partied. While they passed around the completed map they drank and played funny music. I mustn't have let myself being distract by the happy atmosphere." Again Kid had to clear her throat, it was obviously that it was very hard for Kid to continue the story "Tommy put his hand on the map and started to play with it carelessly. All a sudden the map was gone…" Kids voice started to tremble again, "Tommy ran to me and explained what had happen. As the Captain searched for the map to use it I told him that I lost it. He was so furious that he started choking me. Tommy then cried out the truth and the Captain let up on me, but went against my little Tommy and threw him over board." Kid hang her head and only for one second Ace was sure to see some tears falling down and he felt sorry for insulting her earlier, "I ran to the ship's rail and looked down to the bloody sea but all I saw was a shark. I was only ten years old yet still I felt for my brother like he was my own child… he was everything I had" Nami covered her face in her hands as she started to sigh heavily while the other Straw Hats looked shocked at Kid, even though they had a hunch that would have ended like that. Ace, who knew how painful it was to lose a brother, was especially affected but still he was the one who composed himself and asked: "How did you came back to this Island?"

"The pirates told me that it was my own fault, that I didn't watch what Tommy was doing. For that they throw me into the torture chamber.(again everybody looked with an aghast look at Kid) I don't know anymore how long I was in there before I managed to escape, but there was no land in sight so I hid in an empty barrel till I'd see an island. Unfortunately the Captain found me, he was about to take me back but I bit him, then he draw this dagger and stabbed me." Kid hold up her dagger with the crocked blade, "The Captain threw me over board eventually, I don't know how I survived swimming away from the seakings, but I managed it to get on an island, but at the beach I collapsed. When I woke an old woman had doctored my wounds. After I recovered the woman instructed me in different fighting techniques and educated me. I learned fast how to use the techniques but one day I fought with another woman something strange happened: After I've almost lost suddenly the women who were standing around as well as my opponent fell unconsciously to the ground, that old woman explained to me later that this was a technique which I must not use because I'd be in competition to their empress, who happened to be a pirate. When I heard about that empress all alarm bells started ringing in my head. I decided to give her a shoot and started to observe her after she returned to the Island; if she'd be a good empress and a good-hearted person I'd went on to another Island, but if not I'd fight her and take over her place." Kid explained, making it clear that back then she wasn't totally convinced that all pirates are evil, even though she was a burnt child.

"You are such a good person Kitty-Kid even though you went through such a horror!" Sanji said with watery eyes.

"Do me a favor Zoro, smack him!" Kid said with a disgruntled voice to Zoro who said next to Sanji.

"With the greatest of pleasure." Zoro answered to Kids request and whacked Sanji on his head.

As Sanji hold his hurting head Kid continued her narration: "However that empress was a horrible bitch, she thought just because she's beautiful she could do what ever she wanted. Unfortunately I wasn't strong enough because she had help from her two sisters, and together they were nearly invincible. But still I managed to get off with a slap on my wrists. After the old lady chased me away as well I run off to the forest where I build a raft. But I didn't got far with it I just passed the calm belt when it started to fall apart. There was a boat close to me so I swum to it, the man on the boat was a former marine who was on the way to the marine HQ to bring over some top-secret information, first he was glad about some company, but when I found out about the information, he was mad at me and tried to make sure that I wouldn't babble out the secret, so I had no other choice but to kill him. After changing the course which the marine had shown me how to do it on my own I head back to this Island."

"What was that secret Information?" Robin asked interested.

"Nothing but rumors, which would had taken an innocent child's life at risk." Kid answered vaguely, "However when I returned to Eqrado I came across my former Captain and comrades, who was about to take some young women to their ship. I helped the women by taking revenge for my little brother. At the first moment it was a satisfaction for me, but later on it only made me bitterer, because I realized that nothing would ever bring back the good times I had with my brother." Again Kid became a sad expression on her face.

Nami who composed herself tried to comfort Kid by putting her shacking hand on her shoulder and said with a trembling voice: "I'm so sorry for your little brother…"

But Kid just backed away from Nami by letting her shoulders revolve. "I hope you do now understand, why I'll never be a friend of yours." said Kid sounding convinced about her words, "I won't do the same mistakes over and over again and now I don't want to talk about it anymore"

"What a story… you almost got me as well…" suddenly Usopp said boldly, "But there are to many contradictions in your story!"

"Are you insane?!" That was everything Nami, Chopper and Robin could ask before Kid was up on her feet and jumped over to Usopp. Jerking Usopp on to his feet Kid glared insanely into his wide-opened horrified eyes and the air started to crackling, while Zoro put his hand unnoticed on his katana.

"SO YOU THINK I'M A LIAR?!" Kid yelled madly.

As Kid saw the deadly terror in Usopps eyes she came back to her senses and let go of him and the crackling in the air stopped. Usopp fell back to the ground and crawled away still looking terrified at Kid. "I really hope I would make that just up…" Kid hissed with her dangerously calm voice before she stormed of in direction of the house.

But before Kid vanished out of the fire shine she suddenly stopped and took of her shirt and pushed her hairs aside to revile her scarred back: the lines were deeply scarified into her flesh and patterned the same symbol as those on the bosses face. "Here is the freaking evidence of my lost childhood!" Kid snarled exasperatedly across her shoulder, while Usopp and the rest stared at Kids ugly scar.

Usopp was having a panic attack as he looked at Kids scare before Kid left putting on her shirt again. Just when he was about to get up Zoro pointed with his sword at his nose: "Geez… You've got some nerves!" Zoro said disgruntled, he'd never expected anyone of his crew members to make fun about someone else's tragic past.

"What happened?!" Luffy said in confusion as he came out of the house, "Kid just run the stairs up?!"

"Usopp was an uncouth klutz… And now Kitty-Kid might won't come with us anymore" Sanji whined as Zoro put back his sword.

"Usopp what have you done?" Nami asked sulkily.

"I didn't mean to sound so mean; I just wanted to know about the picture from the day before." Usopp mumbled still frighten to death.

"So it's a misunderstanding. Don't worry I'll have a talk with Kitty-Cat!" Luffy said with a grin.

"Wait Luffy I think it's probably for the best if we just let her be a bit…" Nami expressed her doubts that Luffy could convince Kid to come back downstairs, looking to Kids place.

"Ah you noticed that he already left?" Ace asked before Nami let with an annoyed grunt her head hang.

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><p>I hope it was worth waiting. The next chapter will be up within this month I promise (and this time I mean it. because I was able to write some chapters ahead). Please leave some reviews if you can't wait for it and i'll see if I can update it next weekend!<p> 


	14. Chapter 13: diffrent dreams

Why didn't anyone tell me that one chapter is missing? I apologize for that mistake… but still that's not good… it's probably because I was so eager to show my new Ideas for that story that I left out one of my favorite chapters (because of Kids interaction with everybody). I hope those people who had read the next chapter already will read that one as well even though it isn't too important to the plot.

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><p><em>Chapter 13: different dreams<em>

When Luffy got up stairs he stood in front of closed doors he didn't know where room Kid could be so he went ahead and opened the first door. The room he entered was the parents bedroom the bed sheet was laying untidy half on the bed half on the blood-smeared floor while a first-aid-box was laying in front of it but no sign of Kid.

"What are you doing here?" Kid asked taming her anger, after she noticed that someone was entering that room she went to check.

"I was looking for you!" Luffy answered honestly, "Are you okay?" he wanted to know as he saw how Kid was starring at the bed.

"Sure" Kid responded brusquely, "Do me a favor and just let's get out of that room." Kid requested and turned around to go to the next room.

"What's on your mind?" Kid asked when she went to the baby crib.

"Usopp's really sorry, he didn't mean to be rude… you have to know that he's a liar and poser but in truth he's just a chicken." Luffy tried to explain Usopps' reaction without even knowing what the problem was.

"You can tell him he shouldn't bother his chicken head about it." Kid said simply

After Luffy heard that he started to laugh as he snorted: "What?"

"stop laughing, it's just a wordplay…" Kid explained with a shrug of her shoulders.

"I just imagined Usopp with a chicken head on his shoulders." Luffy laughed, after he composed himself, he added, "So your still coming with us?"

"Let's say it won't fail at Usopps' remark…" Kid started to say turning around.

But before Kid could continue Luffy smelled the meat Sanji was roasting and he cut in: "Great! Supper's almost ready, let's go eat!" before he run off leaving Kid behind.

As Kid heard Luffy bluster the stairs downwards she just let her head hang, but suddenly a gentle smile appeared on her lips as she put her hands on the babies' crib.

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><p>Later that night Ace was still laying awake while the male straw hats where snoring loudly. He was thinking of Sabo and how he felt when he received the message of his death, of course it was hard for him and Luffy but still they got each other. If it wasn't for Luffy he'd probably would have become as bitter as Kid or even worse. From time to time Ace looked upstairs to the second room where the crib stood. He felt somehow sorry for Kid but still there was something about her that bothered him. Suddenly Ace concluded that it probably was for the best to check on Kid. He went the stairs up and entered the same room as the night before. Kid was standing in front of the baby crib. "How are you doing?" Ace asked leaning against the door frame.<p>

A shrug of Kids shoulders showed Ace that she didn't know what to answer. When Ace approached Kid who was facing away from him, he saw the picture of her and Tommy in lying on a pillow she was staring at. "I think I understand now why you act how you act… I myself lost a brother when I was a child." Ace said soberly.

When Kid didn't react to his avowal Ace looked out of the window as he asked: "Tell me one thing, many people in your situation would have quit their life, so why not you?"

Suddenly Kid looked up and stared as well through the window before she said toughly: "I'm not a weakling as my father used to hammer into me."

Ace looked with an esteemed expression on his face at Kids reflection for several second, before he turned around without any further reactions and went to the door.

But suddenly Kid turned around and said with a rough voice: "Wait… just because we have something in common doesn't change anything between us, for me you'll always be a bloody pirate."

"I expected nothing less from you, you stupid shrew!" Ace responded perkily across his shoulder before he left the room with a sassy wave of his hand.

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><p>At dawn Kid was still standing between the baby crib and the window, still looking outside. After Kid took the picture from the pillow in the baby crib, she left the room, to waken up Nami and Robin. As Kid stood in the door frame she knocked loudly on it with the back of her fist. Both Nami and Robin woke from their sleep with a start. "Kid… Are you okay?" Nami mumbled as she realized that it was Kid leaning against the door frame and remembered about the horrible stuff she had heard the day before.<p>

"Would you take your stuff outside and tell the others to do the same." Kid said soberly.

"Of course, we'll do that." Robin responded and started to grab her things, for her it was a clear thing not to question that request.

As Kid left Nami and Robin alone in the room Nami struggled out of the bed sheets and run after Kid. "Kid, are you mad at us?" Nami asked concerned.

"No, I've just came a decision for myself." Kid answered, she really wasn't mad at them anymore, she just didn't know how to cope with the situation.

Nami returned with a smile on her face to Robin. "Robin I think Kid is going along with us!"

"How does that come?" Robin questioned.

"She just said that she made a decision for herself, It could be that she's really joining our crew," Nami explained packing her stuff together.

"Well, that or she's going to commit suicide." Robin mentioned pessimistically when they vacated the room.

"Stop saying such a thing." Nami said a bit rattled as they passed the two rooms, to walk the stirs down, now they had the duty of waking the rest of the group. Nami first awakened Sanji so he would start cooking breakfast, what would make the waking process a lot easier. Of course Sanji was thrilled when he heard about Kids request and ran off to cook. After Nami and Robin managed to shoo the rest of the crew and Ace out of the house, they both left the house as well. "Every one is out of the house now; we're waiting outside for you!" Nami yelled from the door.

While Sanji was dishing up breakfast Nami seemed to get more and more nervous, because of Robins earlier words. Half an hour later Kid excited the house, in her hands holding the bed sheet from the parents' bedroom. "Thank goodness…" Nami mumbled under her breath as Kid approached them, tying a knot into the bed sheet.

"Are you ready to go?" Kid wanted to know soberly seeing that Sanji, already had packed everything together after breakfast.

"Yes!" the Straw Hats and Ace answered as they stood up.

"Could you light this up, please?" Kid asked Ace holding the bed sheet up.

Ace let his hand without a word burn and lit the bed sheet on fire. Kid turned around, looking a last time at the ruins of her childhood before she let the bed sheet rotate and threw it up through the window of the parents room.

"Let's go to Selvanio!" Kid said unemotionally turning away from the house and walking ahead. `I will leave this please for ever behind.` Kid thought while the rest of the group followed her in silence away from the glade.

After the group covered almost half of the way Nami got the courage to pace forward to Kid. "That was sure a hard decision." Nami said hypothetically as she saw how Kid looked frowningly ahead.

"No it wasn't… I just had to take that step…" Kid replied calm but her expression didn't change, "If you have to talk to me then please change the subject."

"Well, I do have a question to this Island." Nami started a bit embarrassed, "can you tell me from where I can have an overview of the whole Island, something like a high mountain.

"No there isn't a mountain this high. This Island is simply to huge; it even crosses the calm belt and lays partly in the north blue." Kid immediately explained.

"What, really? How do you know that?" Nami asked interested.

"It's my home island" Kid answered simply.

"Any chance you know the geographical coordinates?" Nami wanted to know taking out her notebook; maybe she could still draw a map from this Island with Kids help.

"Not with a hundred percent accuracy, but they are around the 5th and 7th parallel from the Equator and around the 25th to 37th north it's a bit shaped like a diamond but it has a delta estuary in the north edge which is why Salando has as the only city a rich flora because no one else is living in that area close to the calm belt." Kid explained while Nami was scribbling the data in her notebook.

"So there's a river which comes from the north blue. That's so interesting I can't wait to bring that on paper!" Nami said enthusiastically and added, "You have to know my dream is to draw a world map!"

"Is that so?" Kids asked but she wasn't interested in it at all, her mood even sank a bit more.

"I have a question concerning this island as well, Kid." Robin said, closing the lines, "Have you ever seen a boulder with ancient hieroglyphs on it or heard about Porneglyphs?"

"No, never seen, never heard about it, so you won't find one on this Island." Kid answered quickly.

"Are you sure? It's really important to me" Robin explained.

Kid looked a bit annoyed at Robin and said: "As I said there's no such thing on this Island."

"I'm Sorry, it wasn't my intention to doubt your words." Robin apologized, "It's just my dream to find out about the true ancient history."

"Nami-Swan, Robin-Chan, Kitty Kid!" Sanji yelled after them as he ran towards them holding some really pretty flowers he just found on their way and added as he reached them, "I have found some very pretty flowers, which resemble to me your beauties." He added while dealing out the orange and the yellow flowers to Nami and Robin, who just accepted the flowers to get Sanji away again.

But when he wanted to give the blue flower to Kid, she just looked at the flowers disgruntled and said annoyed: "let me guess your dream's to become the greatest Casanova ever."

"No, my dream's to find the all blue, my dearest." Sanji said happily because he mistook Kids caustic remark as showing interest for his dream and for himself, "But I would be happy to be your Casanova!"

Kid didn't have any words for that, all she did was shaking her head in disbelieve while pacing on, how could someone remain convinced about something in such an annoying and stupid way.

"Isn't that wonderful Kitty-Kid is interested in me!" Sanji said.

"You're a hopeless case…" Nami muttered frustrated while pushing Sanji further.

"don't be jealously my Nami~Swan I have enough love for each one of you!" Sanji responded while Zoro approached them after Chopper had instructed him in which direction he has to walk, again.

"Stupid ero-cook…" Zoro mumbled as he pass walked his three crew members, of course loud enough that Sanji could hear him.

"What was that you shitty moss head!" Sanji started to argue angrily.

"You heard me right!" Zoro responded aggressively and the two started to trail their strengths while Luffy was cheering for both of them.

"Ha you are a bunch of idiots, fighting all the time against each other!" the straw hates, Ace and Kid heard a voice from a tree. Immediately Nami, Ussop and Chopper were starring nervously up to spot one of the man the day before sitting in the tree.

"I was wondering when you would expose yourself, you annoying mutt. Kid said after she turned around with crossed arms.

"What you knew he was following us, why wouldn't you tell us!" Usopp whined.

"He's not that big of a thread." Kid explained simply, "He's just the remains of a once powerful network which already felt apart."

"Your wrong, of course there are some of the members which turned their backs on me, but since our leader passed away I'm the one who took over, and they're all going to pay for their betray as well as you, and my fellows will help me." the man explained his plan and suddenly the straw hats, Ace and Kid were surrounded by some masked figures (twice as many as the day before)

"Kid… do you still think he's not a big thread?" Usopp asked frightened while Sanji stood in front of Nami and Robin to protect them. As Chopper changed into his monster form to seem more intimidating Luffy and Ace changed into fighting positions even though they weren't impressed. When the man jumped from the tree and said as he walked towards Kid: "If you are going to apologize I will over think your punishment this time." Luffy and the rest of the group looked a bit confused at the man, he sure did change quickly his mind, but then he added as he stood in front of Kid with a smirk "and with a bit of luck you're giving birth to a bouncing baby boy."

Kid chortled and said with her calm frightening voice: "As if…" before she added disinterested "Guys, let's keep going, I'm fed up with hearing this crap." and she turned around to go ahead.

"Hey you'd better…" the man started to say as his hand moved in Kids direction but before he could grip Kids arm he already was laying with his face in the mud while Kid was wrenching his arm up into the air and pushing his face with the other hand deeper into the mud.

It took some moments till he cried from pain what was the sign for the rest of the masked figures to attack. Zoro took out two of his swords and ran through the rows of attackers which where approaching him, Sanji, Robin and Nami. Zoro sabered the enemies without problems while Sanji kicked his opponents who were trying to attack from behind into a coma. While Nami Usopp, who had taken out his slingshot, Chopper and Robin were running into the bushes Luffy hit a great amount of the masked figures KO with his Gum Gum pistol shotgun. Ace took out some foes but without using his devil power meanwhile Kid already piled three piles with unconscious men. After the attackers did give Kid a wide berth Kid took a sit on one of the piles watching the straw hats and Ace fighting of the rest of the enemies, as she saw how they were fighting, for her it became clearer and clearer that the crew wasn't just a bunch of weaklings some of them had really potential in fighting. Even Robin used her Devil Fruit power to break the backbones of one or two enemies. But as outstanding some of the group were, the weaker seemed Nami, Usopp and Chopper who were hiding in the bushes, even though Usopp here and there shot some rotten eggs to distract the enemies. After five minutes all was over again; suddenly when the few opponents who were still able to walk fled the group heard Kid clapping into her hands. "I'm actually impressed… wouldn't have thought that you have fighting potentials, even the disoriented nut is really good with his swords!" Kid acknowledged with a highly reserved voice, of course she knew now that she probably would have been in trouble if Luffy, Zoro, Sanji and Ace would attack her at the same time (one on one they wouldn't stand a chance against her, against two of them she still wouldn't have any problems of defeating them of, but she would struggle if three of them would team up against her yet she'd be superior eventually).

"I should hope so too… my goal is to become the best swordsman." Zoro responded to Kids remark.

"Guys, shouldn't we keep walking?" Usopp asked glancing around still nervous about the masked figures from before.

"The faster we get to Salando the sooner we get the nutrition for Eqrado, the chicken's got a point there." Kid admitted.

"I'm not a chicken!" Usopp protested but when Kid looked at him with her intimidating face at him he squeaked in fear and added as Kid changed the position of her left eyebrow, "Well, maybe now I'm still a chicken but one day I'll become a brave warrior of the seas."

And the second Eyebrow changed positions leaving an astonished yet skeptical expression on Kids face but she also seemed to be annoyed in a way.

"Chopper before your goal pops up out of nowhere, just tell me what your dream is?" Kid asked annoyed massaging her nose bridge, because it was obviously to her that it would be mentioned sometime.

Chopper looked surprised by Kids reaction at her and answered: "My dream… ah my dream is to find a medicine which cures every disease in the world!" While he transformed back to his reindeer form.

"My dream is to find the One Piece so I can become Pirate King!" Luffy stated happily because Kid seemed to show interest in the goals of the crew members.

"You already addressed that unnecessarily when you introduced yourself, so why do you have to put in your two cents now? That's nerve-racking, so stop it!" Kid responded harshly before she paced forward in direction of Salando, she didn't care to be polite enough to hear Aces dream.

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><p>Hope you're not distracted by my earlier mistake…<p> 


	15. Chapter 14: The Hideout

sorry guys I uploaded that too earliy. Please go one chapter back if you had already read this one and progress later on. I'm sorry!

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><p><em>Chapter 14: the Hideout <em>

When the Straw hats, Ace and Kid reached the city gate of Salando Kid knocked on it and a police officer opened the window.

"Good morning, you had probably a long journey, but I'm afraid today no one's allowed to enter the city." The police man said formal.

"What why?" Kid asked even though she already knew the answer.

"There was a crime near the entrance and we need to make investigations." The police officer explained.

"But what can we do to go to the government? In Eqrado was a raid of a pirate crew and we need to get supplies for the people there." Kid said with an urgent tone in her voice.

"We know about the raid and we called the marine they send someone who will stay from now on…" the police officer started to explain.

"Oh my gosh!" Usopp squealed but before he could continue Zoro stomped on his feet so he wouldn't speak further.

"Don't mind him he's just tiered." Nami explained after the police officer looked at Usopp with risen eyebrows."

"Yes he was a bit too long in the desert!" Kid added and the police officer focused on his explanation.

"For your request to the government I have to put you off until tomorrow, my apology for that matter." The police officer apologized and said, "I have to ask you to leave now."

"But what about the carriage we left behind the other day?" Sanji asked before the police man could close the window, "we left it at a cross-road near the city entrance." Sanji explained.

"That was probably stolen we haven't seen a carriage around the entrance. You shouldn't leave stuff simply around." The police officer said firmly and closed the window.

"And what should we do now?" Robin questioned ruminatively.

"There's no other option but to go to the hideout of the network." Kid answered.

"What no…" Usopp whined anxiously.

"Where is that hideout" Luffy asked "I want to get something to eat."

"The food isn't for us Luffy!" Ace said with a wagging finger and added, "And by the way we were there just the other day."

"You've got that?!" Kid said a bit surprised, she'd never thought that he would figure that out.

"Tcha obviously you're not that unpredictable as you thought" Ace said cockily and walked off.

"Grr… I hate it when he does that" Kid snarled angrily. Before she and the rest followed him into the forest

After some time Kid caught up with Ace and asked: "Have you realized that you're walking in the wrong direction, you brazen jerk?"

Now it was Ace' turn to snarl hostilely as Kid took over the lead: "guess the feud's on again."

As Kid guided the group to the barrack Luffy approached her and said while he was picking in his nose: "Kid I'm actually disappointed. Why did you keep me away from the food the day before?"

"I had the assumption that my father was around!" Kid explained.

"So your dad really sold you?" Luffy asked what caused Kid to stop and pull on his earlobe.

"I thought you're not interested in my past." Kid said with her calm voice.

"I thought a question won't hurt… could you please let my ear go?" Luffy whined with pain.

"You're an idiot…" Kid said and loosed her grip of Luffys' earlobe; she really appreciated Luffys' reaction to her past, but in the end he was just as annoying as his brother and additionally he replaced Aces know-it-al manner with pure stupidity.

Kid walked ahead while Luffy was sitting on the ground and massaged his ear, because he had fallen to the ground as his earlobe swung back to him. "Why is she so mean?" Luffy asked when Ace approached him to help him to get up.

"Because she's a crazy bitch…" Ace answered and got an angry look of Luffy.

"Why are you insulting my new crew member?" Luffy wanted to know as he took Aces helping hand.

"I guess Kid's right about you!" Ace assumed as he passed Luffy.

"What do you mean by that?!" Luffy asked as he followed Ace.

After the group reached the barrack Luffy and Ace did find the other day they saw a carriage in the front of the barrack. "Look I'm sure that's our carriage!" Chopper said pointing at the empty carriage.

"Shush…" Kid said because she had heard something from inside the barrack and she paced forward to the still open door to enter the building. "Anne-Marie This can't be! Are you a ghost? Have you killed our boss?! "

"You'd better put this thing away." The Straw Hats and Ace could hear Kid say as they approached the door as well.

Luffy went ahead to see, that Kid stood close to the door with risen hands in a conciliating gesture. "What's wrong?"

When Luffy entered the barrack he saw why Kid had raised her hands: next to a bed stood a nervous woman pointing a gun at Kid the finger on the trigger.

Luffy instantly inflated himself through his mouth until his body grew to a big balloon to shield Kid from the strange woman; because of this the woman became even more jumpy and shot. But instead of bursting Luffy the bullet was deflected and almost hit the woman when it was slung back. The woman screamed in fear and cringed down to the ground while Luffy shrank back to his ordinary size.

"I won't allow you to hurt a friend of mine!" Luffy said earnestly with a sinister look in his eyes.

"Give me a break… stop calling me a friend of yours!" Kid said testily as she pass walked Luffy, approaching the woman on the floor and asked in an almost friendly way, "Are you okay?"

The woman looked first at Kid's hand and then her confused glance shifted to Kids face. "Your Anne-Maries little girl!" the woman said after she blinked and realized that Kid wasn't a ghost, "you look just as your mother! I was so worried when I heard you and your brother were disappeared after your mothers suicide, by the way my sympathies" the woman started to sputter, "How's Tommy?"

"He died long ago!" Kid answered guiltily.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know that!" the woman apologized sincerely.

"So my mother did commit suicied!" Kid said restrainedly as the rest of the Straw Hats and Ace entered the barrack.

"What just happened?" Nami asked as she neared Kid and the strange woman.

"I've mistaken Kid with her dead mother and I was such a dummy and thought that she killed our boss!" the woman blathered again. "By the way my name's Samantha."

"Well actually Kid did kill him, but she did it in self-defense." Luffy explained off handily.

"Thank you Luffy…" Kid muttered looking annoyed at Luffy.

"Your welcome." Luffy responded not sure for what Kid thanked him, what caused Kid to snarl something under her breath.

"Did you know why your boss was searching for me?" Kid asked when she saw that the woman gave her horrified look.

The woman slowly shook her head still looking with wide opened eyes at Kid. After Kid had clarified everything to the strange woman she looked at her with a combination of disbelieve and commiseration. "I had no Idea." The woman said sadly, "I'm so sorry"

"You were just fooled like my mother and all the others, Samantha. They led you to believe that everything was perfect as long as there was a son and heir. They brain-washed all of you, and the children were the one who suffered the most." Kid summarized everything what was wrong with the network.

Nami, who sat on the bed next to Kid and the woman, could barely restrain her tears. "What a sick society." Nami mumbled what led Kids attention away from Samantha "You have to do something to stop this all!" Nami said to Samantha while tears rolled down her checks, "there are still people who follow that sick Ideals."

`Why is she crying? Is her commiseration really that big or is it fake?` Kid asked herself in thoughts while she looked at Nami, before she looked to the others, everybody seemed to think the same thing, they had to encourage that woman to take on the lead.

"But how can I do something, I'm not more than a woman." Samantha confessed

"Are you a mother?" Robin asked suddenly.

"Yes, I have two boys and one little daughter." Samantha answered.

"You have to stand up for them. Don't let the same thing that happened to Kid happen to your daughter!" Robin replied urgently.

"You can do it, just believe in yourself!" Chopper stated, "Don't you won't a better world for your children?

"They are right, but not only your kids also several generations depend on you. Don't let them down like my mother did it with me." Kid said with an encouraging smile on her lips as she looked at Samantha.

"Of course I want a better world for the children, I will give my best!" Samantha said earnestly.

"That's good, now let's eat something!" Luffy said suddenly and Sanji whacked him as an answer.

"Have you even listened to what Kid just had told!?" Sanji yelled annoyed.

"Not really I was looking at the food…" Luffy said pursing his lips.

"This food isn't for us anyway Luffy!" Usopp remembered his captain, "I think we should put as much as we can on the carriage and hit the road."

"I don't like to say it but the long nosed chicken is right!" Kid endorsed Usopps' suggestion.

"EY!" Usopp yelled unsatisfied with Kids nickname for him before he and the others started to grab the food to load it on the carriage.

"Kid you won't stay and help me to bring things to how they should be?" Samantha asked.

"I already closed that door and I am not willing to ever look back again." Kid explained earnestly.

Robin looked a bit sad to Kid but left her thoughts to herself while she brought two bags of rice with her Devil Fruit powers outside. After the carriage was filled with the nutrition of the barrack Kid told the Straw Hats and Ace to stay out side for a moment.

"I wonder what they are talking about!" Chopper said to Nami and Robin.

"How about a little observation…" Robin said with a giggle before she crossed her arms in front of her chest and closed her eyes, "Ojo et Oreja fleur" Robin whispered and let one eye and one ear grow inside the building to see and hear what was going on.


	16. Chapter 15: Nami and Robin in danger p1

_Chapter 15: Nami and Robin in danger part 1_

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><p>Kid, who had put the door back into place so no one would hear her talk to Samantha, had turned around to the Samantha and said firmly: "Listen carefully, when my mother left me, knowingly that I had always told her the truth, something died inside of me. However I hope that knowledge will give you the courage to prevent your daughter and give you the strength to bring the other families to their senses."<p>

"Kid, you're an extraordinary woman and if your mother would know that, she'd be very proud of you." Samantha said with a sad smile after Kid had turned around to leave the building.

"That is well-meant but I know that is not right. And even if it were true I would not care about it" replied Kid with an icy smile on her lips walking towards the door, "A woman who leaves her child behind in such misery is not a mother, is she?"

Kid pulled on the door and it fell down on the floor again.

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><p>Robin immediately cut off the connection and sank her arms as Kid walked out of the building.<p>

"Are you ready to leave?" Kid said when she stopped in front of the group.

"Yes, we are!" Luffy said with a grin while Sanji started to pull the carriage.

Kid paced forward and the rest followed her even though Samantha ran to the door and looked guiltily after her best friends' child.

Robin and Nami who were just about to follow Kid as well saw the guilty expression on Samantha's face and Nami said with a cheery smile: "Don't worry, she'll be fine, we'll take care of her! "

Samantha looked thankfully to Nami and nodded with tears in her eyes before Nami and Robin disappeared into the forest.

"Are you sure Kid will be alright?" Robin pensively.

"I think Kid is on the best way to trust us and once she joins our crew everything will turn to the better for her."

"I'm not that convinced about that. Some wounds won't heal so easily" Robin said and sounded almost like she knew what she was talking about.

"Yes, I know. But once she accepts us as her friends the wounds will heal easier." Nami tried to persuade Robin, "And there's still the hook up plan for her and Ace."

"You still hold on to that plan, I don't think that'll work out!" Robin said mature.

"Which plan are you talking about?!" the two heard Zorro ask who suddenly appeared behind them.

"N…Nothing at all." Nami said defensively, she won't let this insensible swordsman destroy her plans and she paced forward.

"You're not gonna tell me what she's up to either, Are you?" Zoro asked a bit morosely looking at Robin.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Robin pretended in disguise and followed her friend.

"Of course not…" Zoro grumbled grumpily.

"Why are you being so harsh to my Robin-chan for?" Sanji asked harshly as he returned with the carriage to look where Nami and Robin were, "Now hurry up or you'll get lost again!"

Zoro approached Sanji and passed walked him as he mumbled "Stupid ero-cook." What resulted in a squabbling, which was finished by Nami quickly.

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><p>After several hours of wandering through the forest the group saw the desert eventually. "C'mon Sanji you're so slow! The faster we're in the desert the faster we can eat something!" Luffy said excitedly.<p>

"I have to be carefully with the carriage we have still a long way laying ahead of us." Sanji explained in a mature way to his captain.

"I bet I'll be faster than you!" Luffy said.

"Haven't you listened?! We won't make a break soon anyway!" Sanji yelled frustrated and continued his way wary. But only seconds later Luffy said.

"C'mon Sanji let me pull the carriage I'm so bored!"

"Could you please shut up, Luff?y!" Sanji yelled annoyed but Luffy edged Sanji away and took the carriage eventually and run of to the border of the forest.

"Oh no, how did that happen?!" Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Copper, Robin, Ace and Kid could hear Luffy yell from the desert, "The wheal broke!"

"Nami, please tell me he's like this because of the climate!" Kid said glumly to Nami who walked next to her.

"You should bury this hope… just like we all did!" Nami explained frustrated as they approached Luffy while Kid let her head hang.

When Sanji reached Luffy he gave him a whack on his head and yelled: "What have I told you!?"

"I'm sorry..." Luffy mumbled apologetically but the next second he added, "but at least we can make a break now!" with a wide grin.

"Guess we don't have another option!" Kid said sullenly after she whacked Luffy, "Can someone of you fix the wheal?"

"I think I can mend it provisional!" Usopp respond, "Do you have a hammer in your bag Kid?"

"Let me see…" Kid said slowly and rummaged her bag before she whacked Usopps head yelling: "WHY SHOULD I CARRY AROUND A HAMMER WITH ME?!"

"Why are you so mean?!" Usopp asked whiningly.

Kid massaged her nose bridge with her left hand as she responded: "you are so annoying."

"But I didn't break the wheal!" Usopp complained.

"Maybe I'm just annoyed about you, because you can't handle things by yourself!" Kid explained hackled up.

While Kid let her anger out on Usopp Sanji had started to make some sandwiches and protected them from Luffy who laid in waiting; Chopper was lying in the shadows of the forest, enjoying the coolness, while Zoro drank some beer beside him; Ace was sleeping under one tree close to the desert, his hat pulled far down over his face, while Nami and Robin absented themselves from the rest of the group into the dessert to continue their discussion from before. After Kid left Usopp alone so she could train for a while, Usopp took the closest stone and tried his best to fix the wheal. "Meal's ready!" Sanji said glad about it that he could hold back Luffy as long as it had taken to make the sandwiches. Everyone came to enjoy the sandwiches with the exceptions of Kid, who wasn't hungry, Ace, who still was asleep and Nami and Robin. "Where are my ladies?" Sanji asked looking in the direction of where Nami and Robin had have left.

Suddenly the earth quaked and Sanji stood up yelling: "Nami-Swan?! Robin-Chan?!" but before he could go to look why the two didn't show up yet, a gigantic spider jumped over a sand dune. The spider attacked Kid immediately with a sting coming out of its mouth as soon as it had landed on its feet. For Kid it wasn't a problem to avoid the attack and while she was jumping out of the way when Luffy and Zorro approached the spider she noticed two cocoons lying on the spiders back. "Gum Gum…" prepared Luffy himself while stretching both of his hands back to attack the spider Kid loosened the ferric-chain she gained the other day off of herself. Kid let the ferric-chain and the knife rotated, when Luffy already yelled: "BAZOOKA!" while he hurls his arms forward.

But the Spider jumped in the last second out of the way and turned around to flee, but Kid managed to throw the ferric-chain at the spider and attached the knife to the spiders back before it hit the road. "That thing's fast!" Luffy yelled in awe.

Meanwhile the spider escaped into the desert Sanji was frozen because of his fear of insects; Usopp and Chopper were watching the situation in fear as well clinging to each other. "Did something just happen?" the question came suddenly from Ace who stood up yawing, putting his hat in place.

"You're pretty laid back, aren't you?" Kid said dismissively as she approached Ace.

"Another spider appeared and attacked Kid!" Zoro explained boredly to avoid a riot.

Sanji jumped all a sudden up on his feet and ran to a sand dune behind which Nami and Robin vanished earlier.

"Nami-Swan and Robin-Chan where are you?!" he yelled as he saw no sing of them.

"I guess the spider took them away." Kid said as she and the rest of the group approached Sanji.

"What? How do you know that?" Sanji asked anxiously.

"I saw two cocoons on the spiders' back…", Kid responded.

"But why didn't they scream for help?" Usopp asked, because he didn't hear them.

"Well that spider was a male and those can throw poison stings at their prey sometimes even before they know about it."

"What Nami and Robin are poisoned?" Chopper and Sanji asked at the same time.

"Yes, but don't worry about it right now, they are just unconscious and they won't be eaten any time soon. What we have to do now is to go after the spider and find them so we can rescue them."

"Poor little Nami and Robin-Chan" Sanji said almost crying.

"Don't worry Kid said they are okay for now, so they are just fine!" Luffy stated his trust in Kid.

"Nevertheless we should act as fast as possible! Because when they awake and the spiders are hungry then they'll be their supper." Kid explained and Sanji sighed fearfully.

"I guess I should stay behind and watch for our stuff!" Usopp said.

"Usopp you're so brave, you want to stay behind all by yourself in the desert with all those monsters!" Chopper said naively.

"Well come to think about it, you could need some back up!" Usopp changed his mind because he was sure that he would be saver if he would stay with the group.

"Are you afraid of staying behind alone?" Zoro made fun of Usopp.

"Of course not!", Usopp said deafeningly, "I'm just concerned about Nami and Robin!"

"I think it's the best when Usopp and Chopper stay behind to protect the food!" Kid spoke her mind aloud.

"What? No!" Usopp yelled in fear just when Luffy said, "Decided!"

"Wait, why don't you ask the rest for their opinion?" Usopp asked uneasily.

"I'm fine with that decision!" Zoro stated to Usopps discontent.

"Don't like to agree with Zoro, but he's right just as my Kitty~Kid!" Sanji said before Usopp could protest.

"I want to stay here with Usopp and contribute to this important part of the mission!" Chopper

`Even you?` Usopp thought and yelled "Could you please all stop this!".

"You two would only get in our way!" Ace explained, not paying attention to Usopps outburst.

"You were the one who asked for our opinion… so live with it." Zoro teased Usopp while Usopp almost started to cry.

"Come on Usopp they need someone who looks after the nutrition, I'm sure with Kid they will save Nami and Robin!" Chopper tried to convince Usopp to stay with him behind.

"Erm…alright…" Usopp finally agreed to stay behind with Chopper.

"Now we should keep going I'll explain the plan on the way!" Kid explained and she Luffy, Zoro, Sanji and Ace set off to the rescue, following the tracks of the spiders' legs.


	17. Chapter 16: Nami and Robin in danger p2

Hi guys

After such a long break, due to my driving license practice, I thought I should continue the translation and upload it more regularly especially since I have some chapters which are waiting to be uploaded. I'm very sorry for the delay. I hope there are still people who are still reading it.

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><p>Chapter 16 Nami and Robin in danger part 2<p>

The rescue team followed the foot prints in the sand while Kid explained her plan to them. When the sun began to set the group saw a mountain range in the distance. "Kid, is this the mountain where Nami-Swan and Robin-Chan are hold hostage?" Sanji asked, because there were several traces leading towards, as well as away from the mountain range, while Kid continued her way towards the mountains. "Well it should be if the spider hasn't decided to separate itself from the rest of its group, ." Kid explained when all the sudden…

"NAMI!? ROBIN!? ARE YOU…" Luffy shouted out loud, but before he could continue Kid whacked him on the head.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Kid asked irascibly.

"I wanted them to give us a sing if they're at the mountains…" Luffy said poutedly, rubbing his head.

"I've already told you we have to be QUIETLY!" Kid started to yell while she jolted Luffy back and forth.

"Calm down, broad!" it slipped through Zoros lips, because that scene reminded him of Nami how she reacted when Luffy did something stupid, and drew Kids attention to him.

"How did you call me?" Kid asked in her calm threatening voice glaring at Zoro.

"N…Nothing at all…" Zoro stammered defensively with his hands raised in a conciliating way while Kid approached him.

"Kitty-Kid, please calm down we have to hurry and save Nami-Swan and Robin-Chan, I will kick his ass later for you!" Sanji tried to calm Kid down.

At first Kid looked annoyed in Sanjis direction but then realized that this was the wrong time to put up a fight. "That's why I hate men! They all think they are better then women…" Kid snarled annoyed before she focused again on the way, "by the way the percentage that a spider would leave its pack stands by 20%, but to separate themselves from the pack by that radius would be suicidal." Kid explained in a calm way.

Ace looked at his brother, who seemed to be confused, and shrugged with his shoulders before he and the rest followed Kid.

When the group reached the mountains the moon let Luffy, Zoro, Sanji Ace and Kid see the contours of several cave entries. Luffy already breathed in deeply to shout out for Nami and Robin a second time. But Kid covered his mouth with both her hands and jerked him behind a big rock and asked him in her threatening calm voice, "What did you have in mind?"

"I wanted to see if Robin and Nami can hear me." Luffy answered while Zoro, Sanji and Ace approached them.

"Give me a break…" Kid mumbled frustrated while she massaged her nose bridge and added annoyed, "for the last time, shout up."

"But how should we know where to rush in to free them?" Luffy wanted to know.

Kid snarled dismissively and said: "could somebody of you please enlighten that retarded nut about what I said earlier while I officiate as bait."

"Luffy just watch out that Kid will decoy the right spider on which a ferric-chain attached is." Zoro explained while Ace fired some logs of wood and shared them out.

"Got it, Kid has to be eaten by a ferric-chain spider …" Luffy said and slowly he realized what he just said and shouted, "WAIT…ARE YOU CRAZY!?"

Zoro whacked Luffy on the head and yelled, "STOP MAKING STUPID THINGS UP AND SHOUT UP!"

"I thought we were supposed to remain in silence while we make sure that Kid won't be hurt so she can detect the right spider and we can save Nami-Chan and Robin-Chin…" Sanji mumbled meanwhile to Ace while they were observing Kid who stopped five meter away her pacing in front of the Rock looking, her appearance suddenly very focused.

"Luffy's sometimes really a pain in the ass…" Ace stated but suddenly something caught his attention as well.

"Guys could you be quiet for a sec!" Ace commanded when he quenched the fire of the logs of wood, then he looked upwards to the direction of the top of the rock where the group was hidden.

"What's wrong" Luffy asked whispering.

"Oh… Of course you listen to your big bro…" Zoro mouthed off about Luffys behavior under his breath.

"Shout up Moos-head…" Sanji said in a low voice.

"Psst!" Ace hissed vigorously and listened more carefully into the night while looking upwards.

Suddenly he heard above him a scrape and he fired a fire fist into the air, only to see that high above them was a huge spider web, taut between the rock and the ground, which now was on fire. "That wasn't there before!" Sanji screamed alarmed, when he and the others heard suddenly high-pitched screeches from the web. While the bodies of smaller spiders fell to the ground Sanji whimpered. "Please remind me why we took you on that mission ero-cook!" Zoro teased Sanji after a while.

"Shout your mouth! I'm her to ensure that Nami-Chan, Robin-Chin and Kitty-Kid will return safely!" Sanji yelled.

"THOSE BLOCKHEADS!" Luffy and the rest could hear Kid yell shortly afterwards they were surrounded by huger spiders which had jumped over the rocks or had appeared from the sides. While the net burned down the spiders started there attack on the group of fresh flesh: When the spiders in front of the group attacked the spiders from the sides fired off their thicker silk threads. But even before the silk threads could reach the group, Zoro cut them through with one of his swords. Some of the spiders rear up before they suddenly cringed to snatch after their prey with their razor sharp forceps. But Luffy and the rest dodged their teeth and Luffy attacked the spiders with his "Gum Gum Pisole Shotgun!" attack and hit most of the spiders in front of him.

Ace on the other hand remembered that the first time he used fire it wasn't that good of an idea and he was maybe just lucky that those spiders which he had burned were so young and small that the acid hasn't produced yet, so he choose the saver way of fighting them off without using fire. Ace run towards the spiders, which had managed to escape Luffys attack, jumped into the air after one of them tried to snatch after him, and punched it with folded hands right on top of its head. Ace turned in the air and kicked another Spider at its hairy leg while the other spider fell dead to the ground. The spider screeched in pain and lost almost its balance, but it could hold itself up on its other feet. The spider tried to shot a poisoned sting at Ace but he swerved it by jumping into the air and punched the spider between its eyes and it fell unconscious at its back. While Ace and Luffy killed left and in front of them spiders, Zoro moved forward and sliced the rest of the spiders into pieces using his three sword style: "Monster strike!"

Sanji was the one who watched in fear at that scene, but when he heard something above him Sanji closed his eyes (even though the fire already went out) and jumped into the air turned himself upside down and started his Extra Hachis attack by launching his kicks at multiple directions into the air screaming "Extra Hachiiis!"

On the other side of the rock Kid fought off some other spiders and tried not to let any more spiders pass to the rest of the group. Kid ran towards two spiders while swerving the thick silk threads and poisoned stings from the other spiders. Kid jumped into a salto and kicked with her heel at the spiders' heads, Kid pushed herself away from them and attacked another spider which was behind her with her right elbow between its eyes. While the three spiders fell dead to the ground Kid did a cartwheel to avoid some more poisoned stings as she returned back to the ground and ended up between four pair of legs. Kid did a handstand and by pushing herself from the ground she kicked the spider high into the air and it flew over the rock. It didn't take long until the last spider was scared off. When the last spider fled to its shelter Kid turned to the rock, where the others hid themselves. "Guys what do you not understand under being quiet!?" Kid asked angry.

"Kitty-Kid are you okay!?" Sanji yelled while he ran around the rock followed by Zoro and Ace.

Kid glared at Sanji and walked up towards him but suddenly she stopped and became paler before she fell to the ground. Ace reacted immediately and gripped Sanji and Zoro immediately to jerk them back behind the rocks. Ace reached for one of the logs of wood and let it burn only to throw it in Kids direction. In the light of the fire Zoro, Sanji and Ace could see how a spider had started to spin a cocoon around Kid. Sanji wanted to rescue Kid but he was hold back by Zoro. "What do you think you're doing, we have to help Kitty-Kid." Sanji said sharp.

"Just be quiet…" Ace said still observating the situation.

When the spider swung the cocoon into the air and turned around itself quickly so that the cocoon landed on its back Ace saw the ferric-chain at his back. "That's our spider…" Ace said quietly while the spider ran into the darkness.

"But we can't just let the spider take Kid with it." Sanji objected and Ace and Zoro explained to him what Kid had told the two of them earlier when he wasn't listening because he was so desperate to save Nami and Robin.

* * *

><p>Flashback<p>

While Sanji ran eagerly ahead following the spiders footprints Kid turned to Luffy, Zoro and Ace and whispered: "Now that our Casanova's out of earshot, let me tell you the real plan…"

"Listen you can tell them what ever you want, I I'm not so much into complex stuff anyway." Luffy said honestly and followed the foot prints which would lead him and the others to their friends.

"He's such a pain in the neck…" Kid said slamming her palm against her forehead and grunted before she continued to explain her plan, "If our spider shows up just let it take me with it and I'll handle the rest by myself. The spiders always store their cocoons in the same place."

"And why couldn't you tell that to all of us?" Zoro and Ace asked simultaneously in a disgruntled manner, because they already knew how Sanji would react.

"Oh well I didn't want to deal with our over-protecting Casanova. Now he's your problem!" Kid explained poking out her tongue at the two.

"You're the devil …" Ace muttered annoyed.

Kid looked at him and said with a superior smile and a shrug of her shoulders: "I know…" before she, Zoro and Ace followed Luffy and Sanji.

End of Flashback

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><p>"How could my lovely Kitty-Kid just lie to me" Sanji whined.<p>

"Maybe she didn't want you to get into danger!" Ace consoled Sanji and immediately Sanjis mood switched from down to top.

"You're the devil." Zoro whispered to Ace.

"I know…" Ace said with a wide grin.

"But you do know that Kid is going to kill you for that." Zoro addressed the inescapable fact.

"I'm going to deal with that later but first she has to suffer.", Ace shrug Zoros input off yet suddenly he looked around and muttered, "Oh crap…" as he realized something.

"What's wrong?!" Sanji asked alarmed he didn't dare to turn his face to look around.

"She's definitely going to kill us…" Zoro said after he searched for the mood change of Ace and came to the same conclusion.

"What!?" Sanji cried out before he became silent again and turned eventually frightened around, with his luck the spiders could have been appeared right behind him, but on his left side wasn't any thing just as on his right side.

"Zoro, Ace…" Sanji snarled bitterly before he turned around only to see Zoro giggling while Ace still was very earnest.

"Quit it already Zoro… we're in trouble." Ace reminded before Sanji could start yell at Zoro.

"Why?!" Sanji questioned.

"Look around and don't tell me you don't get it!" Zoro instructed Sanji.

Sanji looked one more time around and groaned annoyed: "Luffy…"

"Congratulations you're actually not dumber than I thought." Zoro felicitated what reboiled Sanjis anger again...

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><p>Hope you liked it<p> 


	18. Chapter 17: Nami and Robin in danger p3

Dear readers

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to all of you who read this and to all who doesn't as well (even though those guys won't know it…).

This year I had two downs which were very hard (that's also why I couldn't update so much as I wanted), but also three ups which were great so let's focus on them and say this year was worth it!

Hope you stick with me through the next year (were I'll hopefully be able to update more often)!

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><p>Chapter 17: Nami and Robin in Danger Part 3<p>

When Kid awoke she was surrounded by darkness, she realized almost immediately where she was and listened carefully. After some time of complete silence Kid stretched out her index fingers, pushed it through the hardened spider silk pulp and opened the cocoon from the inside. As Kid stepped out of her cocoon she looked warily around; in the moonlight, which entered through the entrance of the cave, she could see two cocoons across the cave. Sneaking towards the cocoons every step felt heavier than the one before. When Kid reached the first cocoon she tore it open and looked right into Robins wide opened eyes before she collapsed to the ground. "Pull yourself together… we aren't save yet…" Kid exhorted in a low voice and noticed that it felt difficult to speak clearly, "try to become clear while I free Nami." Kid added in a mumble while she pulled a water bottle out of her messenger bag and gave it to Robin before she turned to the second cocoon.

As Kid walked towards the cocoon her senses suddenly screamed alarm for a second, so she turned around and looked warily into the semidarkness of the cave. `Damn! I can't concentrate well… that's bad… My Haki isn't working properly… is something there or did I hallucinate!`

"Is something wrong…?" Robin asked weak as she saw that Kid stopped.

"Hold your eyes and ears open… when you see or hear something odd, tell me right away." Kid imposed wispering, because she couldn't depend on her Haki at the moment so she had to use her sensory organs, which needed under this circumstance concentration as well.

"Sure." Robin answered in low voice and tried to bring herself into focus while Kid continued her way to Nami's cocoon.

After the cocoon was torn open by Kid, it was revealed that Nami was completely standing upside down and her back side was shown. As Nami fell legs-ahead towards Kid, Kid griped them and stepped out of the way so that she could put Nami, whose head was very red, to the ground. Kid cocked Nami up into a sitting position and started to pat her cheeks. When Nami opened her eyes she looked hectically around, as she looked upwards her look of inquiry changed into a horrified gaze. Nami opened her mouth to scream but Kid covered it with her hand and Nami lost her consciousness again. As Kids eyes followed Namis previous gaze upwards she froze: above them was a net on which five smaller (about the size of a Chihuahua) and four bigger (about the size of a Bernese cattle dog) were crawling every which way.

"Robin… what ever you do, don't do it rash… above us is a spider net… we have to be careful", Kid wispered quietly (she almost only formed the words with her mouth and gave only a bit of sound to her words) still looking upwards, "I'm carrying Nami out of the cave… then I'll return to help you… understood?" Kid asked looking to Robin.

When Kid saw Robin nodding she crouched down facing the back towards Nami and placed Namis upper arms on her shoulders. When Kid held Namis legs in the crook of her arms she leaned forward to get Nami onto her back. As Kid pressed herself, with Nami on her back, up to her feet she felt a bit dizzy and stepped a shaky step forward, but she gritted her teeth and managed to brace herself and tiptoed slowly to the entrance of the cave. When Kid stepped out side she took a deep breath of fresh, cold air what helped her to clear her head even if it was just a bit. She looked around and she figured that they weren't at the mountains, but she couldn't clarify how far away they were from the mountains at that point, even though they were standing at a cliff and that the cave they were in was a construction of rocks. Kid set Nami down to the ground and went back to the cave. Robin already had managed to get up on her feet but she still leaned against the wall with closed eyes, trying hardly to blind out the spinning in her head.

Kid approached slowly Robin, carefully watching the spiders above them. "Robin… Can you walk when you brace on me?" Kid asked as quietly as before.

"I think so…" Robin answered weakly and Kid placed Robins arm around her shoulder and tried to shift Robins' weight at herself as much as possible.

Halfway through the cave Robin suddenly stumbled over her own feet and felt to the ground. Kid looked to the spider net and saw that every spider stopped in their movements. "Robin, get out of here! I'll buy you some time!" Kid yelled when she saw the smaller spiders coming down from the sides of the cave and the bigger ones roping down from the net with their silk threads while Kid drew her dagger.

While Robin lumbered herself out of the cave Kid kicked the spiders away and when ever one of them passed her she killed it off with her dagger.

When Robin reached Nami outside the cave she fell on her knees and inhaled the cold air it took some time before Robins realized where she and Nami were, at first Robin tried to wake Nami up but there was no use. Suddenly Kid came running out of the cave while she rushed from one side to the other to ram the rocks with her whole weight and loosen them so that the rocks would fall together while Kid run out of the cave. When Kid came to a hold at the edge of the cliff she leaned forward and breathed deeply through her mouth. "…Are you okay?" Robin asked when she saw that Kids' shoulders looked pretty chaffed.

"I managed to kill off most of the spiders but then the mother showed up, we have to hurry…" Kid panted when she returned into an upright position and walked towards Nami to lift her up at her back again, "It won't last long until they figure out another way out. You think you can climb down." Kid asked.

"I'll try." Robin said honestly.

"Alright let me go first so I could catch you in any case." Kid explained and went back to the cliff.

Kid turned around and made her self ready to climb down, once her feet purchased a good footing on the stonewall and had a save grip with both her hands she yelled. "Robin, watch your steps and get a move on!"

Robin followed Kid slowly yet still a bit dizzily. Slowly but steadily the two made their way down safely.

"What's going on? Where am I?" Suddenly Nami, who had woken up mumbled drowsily and began to move and her arms slipped from Kids shoulders and she fell.

"NAMI!" Kid yelled in shock because she didn't know how far it would have been to the ground.

"Ouch that hurts!" Nami howled when she landed on her buttocks two meters farther down on sandy soil.

"What a lucky girl" Kid mumbled almost relived, before she jumped from the stone wall to the ground.

"What was it!?" Robin asked from five meters above too afraid to look down in her condition.

"It's okay. Just keep going!" Kid said while she helped Nami to stand up.

While Robin slowly climbed down Kid explained Nami in two short sentences what was going on, before a weird sound caught her attention.

"Robin! Jump!" Kid yelled when she saw in the moonlight the silhouette of a grown spider right above Robin.

Robin let herself immediately fall and avoided to be decapitated by the spiders forceps. As Kid heard another hiss from the spiders she caught Robin and let her down on her feet. "Everyone run!" Kid commanded and the three run straight into the dessert.

Kid made sure that she would fall a bit behind, but since the spider was about to outrun them Kid turned around and made herself ready to fight suddenly the spider stood still and lowered itself at first Kid thought it wanted to attack her, but then another even bigger Spider run from left towards the female spider and attacked it. While the two spiders were distracted Kid turned around and hit the road (she knew that in this condition she wouldn't stand much of a chance). As Kid caught up with Nami and Robin she saw that the two of them where completely exhausted. "Kid where are the others?" Nami panted weak.

"I don't know!" Kid said panting as well when suddenly Robin came to a hold and leaned forward while she breathed heavily.

"I can't run any farther…" Robin gasped wearily while pressing her hand against her hurting side while Nami and Kid also stopped.

"We don't have time! We could get attacked any moment!" Kid yelled while suppressing the urge to lose consciousness and wanted to carry Robin on her back, but when she stepped towards Robini, her legs suddenly felt heavier and numb.

"Robin! Kid!" Nami screamed and pointed in the direction where they came from, there approached them another huge spider, while the other two spiders were still fighting.

`Not know…` Kid thought alarmed and slapped her hands against her legs to wake them up but there was no use she even felt to her knees.

Nami screamed in fear while the spider came closer, suddenly Kid draw her dagger and rammed the blade into her upper leg, so that she got back the feeling in it. "Nami! run ahead!" Kid yelled while she stabbed her other leg, but Nami was frozen in fear.

Kid got back on her feet and ran towards Robin but it was already to late the spider had reached them it turned around quickly and shot that cocoon pulp towards Kid and Robin and buried them under it. The spider turned around swiftly and ran the last meters towards its prey while Nami picked up courage and ran towards Robin and Kid to help them. When Nami reached her friends she heard a shout from far away: "Gum Gum!" and suddenly she felt how an arm entangled her body.

"Cling on tight Kid!" Nami yelled as she could only get a grip on Robins shoulder when she heard Luffy yell already: "Grab!" Kid managed it just in time to stick her hand out and grabbed on Luffys arm before the three swung backwards through the air. "HERE YOU ARE!" Luffy yelled laughingly as he saw what he caught. Before the three collided with Ace, who was running next to Luffy, Kid jumped of and fell heavily to the ground, while Nami and Robin dashed against Ace. "You bubblehead!" Ace scolded as he jumped back at his feet and ran towards Luffy and took him into a headlook.

"Kid I was so worried when I couldn't reach you anymore!" Nami gasped with teary eyes in relive, she was happy that the three of them were now out of danger, after some time when Kid rose totteringly and took a deep breath.

"Kid thanks so much for saving us." Robin said leaning forward again.

"Don't mention it." Kid said in an almost soft tone after she coughed while Luffy managed to free himself out of Ace grip.

"Why not mention?! I'm sure you were awesome!" Luffy said after he ran towards Kid and slapped keenly on her back.

That was the moment every thing turned black around Kid and she felt unconscious to the ground.

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><p>Hey guys I hope you liked that chapter. I thought I should give you a measuring of the spiders different sizes. By the way, the sizes of a grown male spider is about the size of an African elephant (approximately 3.20 meters) the female become only 3.00 meters high. If some body needs more explanation to what I meant by certain parts please, please let me know and I'll see what I can do to fix those parts (not only meant for this chapter, also for future ones or even past chapters) Because I really want you guys who like the fan fiction already to give me advice which parts need a little fine-tuning or even If you don't like it (that would be actually even better) but please don't swear or just write stuff like "I don't like your story you should delete it." like that I can't improve the story.<p>

P.S. By the way I think some reviews would be a pleasant Christmas gift so leave a comment.


	19. Chapter 18: Luffy with the Gum Gum head

Hi guys I hope you had a good start to the new year! I'm sorry that it took again so long to upload this chapter but I felt like having the need to finish the next chapter first (which is defenitly going to be up loading within next month, I promise), and boy this was hard work, but enough of this for now. I hope you'l enjoy reading this chapter just as much as I enjoyed writing it!

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><p>Chapter 18: Luffy with the Gum Gum head<p>

"LUFFY! You're an idiot!" Nami shout out while she walked up to Luffy and wacked his head with her fist, "Why did you do this?!"

"I just wanted to congratulate her for the rescue mission!" Luffy said not knowing why Kid lost consciousness as Robin kneeled down to Kid to look if she hit her head somewhere.

"Well, YOU KNOCKED HER OUT" Nami yelled furiously.

"I think she has a fever… we should bring her to Chopper as fast as possible."

"But first we have to pick up Zoro and Sanji at those rocks!" Ace explained and pointed with his thumb to the Rocks behind him.

"And where are Usopp and Chopper then?" Nami asked.

"They stayed at the camp ground." Ace answered while Luffy looked around.

"Luffy I know that look, don't even think about it…" Nami said because Luffy had his I-have-an-awesome-idea expression at his face then it was already too late.

Luffy grind wide and stretched his left arm in the direction of the rocks and while he put his other around Robin and Nami while saying "Gum Gum…" "Oh god… I don't like that very much…" Ace muttered with an risen eyebrow before Luffy suddenly shouted "…ROCKET!" and catapulted himself and the two girls towards the rocks. Ace who had stood in shot direction jumped out of the way and all he heard was an impact. "LUFFY WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!? YOU ALMOST KILLED US!" Nami screamed furiously.

"Don't worry Nami-Swan, I would never let anything happen to you and Robin-chan!" Ace could hear Sanjis voice in the distance while Ace turned around only to see that Kid still laid on the ground were she felt unconscious. Ace let his head hang and walked, while grumbling nasty things, towards Kid to throw her over his shoulder while he started to approach the rocks where Luffy and the rest were located.

As Ace came closer to Luffy, who was chased by Nami, with stones armed which she threw after him while she had Sanji on her tail, he approached Robin and Zoro who were only staring at the bizarre scene. "Ace how is Kid feeling?" asked Robin when she noticed them.

"I hope she's uncomfortable, while bleeding over my coat…" Ace stated testily, because felt Kids' blood running down his leg. "Hey Ace here you are again!" Luffy said after he saw Ace with Kid on his shoulder and changed direction to approach Ace while he dogged the stones, which were thrown by Nami.

As Luffy came closer to Ace he suddenly changed direction and one of the stones Nami threw at him hit Ace on his head. Ace suddenly seemed pissed off even more and shook Kid off his shoulder so that she fell to the ground. "LUFFY!" Ace yelled madly and chased now after Luffy, while Sanji and Nami stopped and looked to Kid.

"Hey you brute, who do you think you are to treat a lady like that!" Sanji yelled and run now to Ace, who had Luffy in a headlock.

"What? She's not a Lady she's a mean heck! She don't even likes anyone of you, so what are you getting so overanxious for?" Ace asked after he blocked Sanjis hit.

"That's not true, why else would she had saved Robin and me?!" Nami asked angrily, "Why are you so mean to her, after all she's been through?!"

"We don't have anything to do with what had happened to her in the past, so why is she such a stick-in-the-mud?! And why are you angry at me anyway, I could have left her easily behind!" Ace argued cool.

"Nami calm down, why are you getting so emotional about that?" Robin asked her friend rationally while she approached Kid, to see how she was doing.

"Because, I too needed a long time before I trusted Luffy and the others." Nami explained.

Ace only grunted at the answer, but still he knew Nami was probably right about Kid, all she needed was time to warm up with everyone (after all despite her grudge towards pirates she did save Luffys crewmates).

"Whatever, let's go back to the camp." Zorro suggested when Sanji walked towards Robin and Kid.

"Right in which direction was it again?" Luffy asked the swordsman.

"WHY DO YOU ASK HIM, YOU MORON!" Nami and Sanji yelled in unison.

"So you mean you know where we have to go?" Luffy asked the two of them.

"Not yet, but I know how to figure it out!" Nami said astutely, "first I need to know in which direction the sun was while you were coming here.

"That's easy, this directions!" Zoro and Luffy said now in unison and pointed in the opposite direction.

"WHY ARE YOU TWO EVEN ANSWERING!?" Nami yelled again while she gave both of them a clot and started to breathe heavily.

"Nami- Swan are you okay, don't get so stressed out because of those retards!" Sanji tried to comfort Nami while he helped Robin to check on Kid, but then he was interrupted by Zorro who attacked him with the backside of two of his swords.

"Whom are you calling a retard, kitchen boy!" Zoro asked menacingly while Sanji blocked Zoros attack with his left foot.

"The persons you are thinking of, of course!" Sanji answered teeth-gnashingly.

"ENOUGH!", Nami yelled madly when she whacked Zoro and Sanji at their heads and mumbled exhausted afterwards, "You're killing me…"

"I'm getting really hungry, Nami we're is now our camp?" Luffy moaned as he approached Nami.

"SHUT UP!" Nami yelled again but then she couldn't stand anymore and let herself sink to the ground while she massaged her temples, because she was about to get a headache.

"Oh Nami-Chan please try to calm down, you are too weak to yell like this." Sanji said comfortingly as he got back on his feet and approached her.

"Could somebody please just tell me where the sun went down when you arrived here?" Nami asked weakly.

"Well I'm not to sure about it anymore but I think it was more or less that direction." Ace said suddenly and pointed in a third direction.

"Yes! I guess he's right! The sun set was in this direction the whole time right in front of us." Sanji agreed.

"Alright now we just need to know where the forest lies so we can find our camp." Nami said.

"I don't think we can wait until sunrise Kid has a pretty high fever and I'm not a doctor but as far as I'm concerned her pulse is also very high." Robin explained after she let go of Kids underarm.

"What my Kitty-Kid has a fever!" Sanji said as he stood up and ran to Robin and Kid and added with a serious face, "Maybe a mouth to mouth respiration will help!"

"I DON'T THINK THIS'LL DO A THING!" Nami yelled while she threw a stone at Sanji's head.

As Sanji began to sulk Nami said frustrated again: "We don't need to wait for the sunrise, that's why I needed to know where the sunset was. Now Luffy can get up that mountain and spot the forest for us."

"Alright then! Gum Gum…" Luffy said and stretched his arm toward the top of the Mountain, "CATAPULT!" and catapulted him self to it.

"OI NAMI I CAN'T SEE A THING!" Luffy yelled suddenly down from the top.

"What was I thinking, he never listens to plans…" Nami mumbled annoyed while she slapped her palm against her forehead.

After Nami explained her plan to the rest of the group Sanji shouted to Luffy: "ACE IS GOING TO CLIMB UP A BIT HIGHER SO HE CAN FIRE A FIREBALL INTO THE AIR!"

"WHY THAT?!" Luffy shouted his question.

"SO YOU CAN SEE THE GOOD DAMN FOREST, YOU IDIOT!" Sanji shouted back.

" AH RIGHT! ACE, WHERE ARE YOU RIGHT NOW?!" Luffy asked.

"ALMOST AT THE TOP OF THAT ROCK WE WERE HIDDING BEFORE!" Ace yelled while jumping to the top of the rock, "MADE IT, NOW WATCH OUT!"

As Ace prepared him self to fire a fireball into the air he suddenly felt how something looped around his waist as he heard Luffy yell: "GUM GUM…"

"WAIT LUFFY! NOOO!" Ace shouted while trying to grab on to something but it was already too late, Luffy already had yelled: "GRAB!" and yanked Ace towards him.

Not bad enough that Ace dashed several times on his way up against the mountains surface he came to a halt by smashing face side against the rock Luffy was holding on to while he heard the rest of the group asking " What happened?! What's wrong?!"

"Ups… sorry!" Apologized Luffy with an innocent grin.

"There're moments that I ask myself why I consider you to be my brother!" Ace grunted teeth-gnashingly.

"But I already said I'm sorry!" Luffy began to sulk.

"Guys, Are you okay!?" Robin yelled.

"ACE'S BEEING MEAN TO ME!" Luffy yelled sulkily.

"I'M THE ONE WHO'S BEEING MEAN?! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO SMASHED ME AGAINST THAT FREAKING ROCK!" Ace yelled annoyed and added after he breathed through still irritated, "Anyway! Let's look for the forest!"

"oh right!", Luffy said, he had forgotten about that, so he turned his head around to look into the darkness and for a moment he looked very hard, then he whispered: "Ace, I can't see a thing… how about you."

Ace whacked Luffy on his head and yelled madly: "SHUT UP!"

Ace let his hand burn so that he could find a place where he could stand on. After Ace climbed a few meters downwards he reached a rock, where he could stand with his legs apart. As he pulled his fist behind his shoulder, he concentrated his power in his fist and it burst into flames. As he yelled: "Fire Fist!" when he flung his fist forward a sea of flames burst through the night sky.

"Wow!" Luffy gazed in amazement at that sight, just as the others did from the ground but as fast as the flames have appeared the fast they vanished into fin air.

"Alright the forest lies in that direction!" Ace said pointing in the direction he saw a few trees standing while the flames did light up the night sky.

"That was amazing, Ace! I'm sure this is your most powerful attack!" Luffy said enthusiastically.

"Not quite!", Ace responded in a swag manner, "Let's get down to the others!"

"Fine with me… see ya later!" Luffy yelled while he stretch his arm around that rock the group was hiding earlier before he shout out, "Gum-Gum ROCKET!"

Luffy launched himself towards the ground.

`Sometimes I really do hate him` Ace thought annoyed.

"LUFFY WHY DID YOU DO THAT! KITTY-KID'S ALREDY BADLY WOUNDED!" Sanji yelled madly what made Ace grin, while he climbed down that mountain (at least Kid wasn't speared and Luffy would get his punishment too)

After some time Ace reached the ground and walked towards the rest of the group. "Where's Luffy?" Ace asked Zoro while Sanji was trying to wake Kid up by softly tapping her checks her till he was interrupted by Nami who wacked him.

"He's over there.", Zoro explained pointing at a pile of stones from which two twitching legs protruded before he looked at Ace, "What happened to your face?" Zoro asked.

Ace griped at his face and discovered when he looked at his hand blood and said as if it was nothing: "Oh I'm bleeding…" and added a bit annoyed: "your captain happened!"

"Care to know who's gonna carrying Kid to the camp?" Zoro asked to change the subject.

"Eh nope, why should I?" Ace retorted the question.

"Ah don't know! Just thought you wanted to know you're task." Zoro explained indifferently.

"What!? Why me of all people?!" Ace asked stressed out.

"Well we figured it would be the best since you're already covered in blood anyway. Our love-sick cook's gonna carrying Nami and Robins' bag and I'll drag Luffy along."

"No, I'm not a pack mule!" Ace responded.

"See? He doesn't want to carry her back to the camp; I'm going to carry all of you Ladies."

"Sanji, you can't carry all of us at once… take that situation seriously. Or be at least quiet." Nami said a bit annoyed

"What ever you wish Nami~Swan!" Sanji responded before he became quiet.

"Why don't you carry her around and take Luffy?!" Ace demanded.

"Well she can get pretty violently…" Zoro stated.

"Exactly! And that's why I don't want to carry her!" Ace responded.

"But since your face's messed up already why should I take the risk?" Zoro asked.

"We can also just leave her here; I mean we killed all spiders off."

"THAT'S UNECCEPTABLE!" Sanji yelled madly and attacked Ace but he blocked the attack easily.

"That's not an option, if we leave her here she's going to die because of the fever and blood lose which by the way could attract other animals!" Robin explained.

Ace became suddenly quiet by all his rivalry he hasn't thought about that. "Ace you can't be seriously…" Nami started to say but stopped when Ace pushed Sanji aside and approached Kid, then he crouched down next to her and looked at her for a moment: Kids' face was pale and she breathed heavily.

He knew he would regret it eventually if he wouldn't help her and he would never do something he'd regret. "Alright; let's go!" Ace said after he lifted Kid onto his arms, "But just so you know, as soon as that heck awakes and whacks me once, she's your problem!" Ace explained and after Zoro threw Luffy over one shoulder the group set off to meet their friends.

While the group went up that hill Robin panted deeply and since Sanji was so over flown with joy that he got to carry Nami, Zoro asked her eventually: "Robin are you really gonna be okay?"

Robin looked at him and wanted to answer him when suddenly all of her strength went out of her legs and she would have fallen if Zoro wouldn't had griped her arm. "What's going on? Where am I?" Zoro and Robin could hear Luffy mumble when all of a sudden a fired up Sanji attacked Zoro and yelled madly:" How dare you to lay a finger on my Robin-chan!"

But instead of hitting Zoro he hit accidentally Luffy who had screamed when he had seen Sanjis' foot approaching him.

"I didn't lay a finger on her she fell, I'm not sneaking up on every opportunity! I'm not a psycho as you!" Zoro yelled, while Luffy was again lying unconsciously at his shoulder, and added "And because of you Luffy still can't walk by himself, you idiot!"

"Sanji-kun, could you please stop the racket he was just helping me!" Robin explained calm after she was back on her feet.

"But I don't want him to help you! Nami-Swan is it okay if you get on my back so I can carry both of you?" Sanji asked.

"Of course." Nami said and Sanji put her carefully down and thought while climbing on Sanjis back, 'if he wants that, fine with me as long as Ace's carrying Kid.`

`Now, that's a happy pack mule!` Ace thought distractedly after he saw Sanji running up the hill happy as a sand boy while he carried both Nami and Robin, he wasn't sure if he should be disgusted, amused or irritated by that. Ace was about to follow Sanji when he realized that Zoro walked in another direction. "Zoro… Wrong direction!" Ace directed Zoro. Ace thought: `what a kindergarten.` while Zoro walked ahead of Ace so he wouldn't get lost.

When Ace and Zoro reached the top of the sand dune Luffy woke up again and so he was able to walk on his own; and so the group continued its way to the camp while carrying the women.

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><p>Just to let you know I fell in love with that idea of Ace lightening up the night sky, I imagine it would look so beautifully awesome! Any volunteers who would draw that<p> 


	20. Chapter 19: a true nightmare

Guys with all the funny moments the last chapter had this one is one of the most earnest chapter. And I put now a big WARNING for whose who are very sensitive on the subject of abuse or were abused, don't read this disturbing chapter! I was shivering and almost crying while writing this chapter (and I wasn't abused by my father, but I think in this chapter I came to a more or less accurate and honest reaction to someone who could not bypass it properly). Summary of this chapter is on the way back to the camp Kid dreams about her past, Ace worries about her, the group makes it to the camp Chopper does his part while Kid has a more vividly discribed dream and Kid wakes up.

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><p><em>Chapter 19: a true nightmare<br>_

When the group covered more than half of the route back to their camp and the sun started to rise Kid became suddenly fitful. At first Ace didn't bother to tell someone of the group about it but he kept an eye on her. When Kid eventually grasped his shoulder with a weak grip and whispered: "please… don't do it again…"

"Guys, I think Kid is feeling very bad." Ace said with a bit of concern, he started to query whether his decision was right.

Zoro, Sanji (with Nami on his back and Robin in his arms) stopped and turned around to look to those two. All of a sudden Kid began to flail around, screaming at the top of her lunges: "STOP PLEASE... THIS HURTS! HELP!"

Some of those uncoordinated yet painful strikes even hit Ace, but this time he didn't drop her he pressed her against himself, because he was worried she could hurt herself while she still hit every where she could in her febrile delirium, while the rest of the group looked in shock at those two.

After some time Ace sank to the ground still holding Kid close to him, while her hits already had weakened she still screamed: "LET GO PLEASE… I WON'T RUN AWAY… I Promise! Just stop it!"

Slowly but steady Kids screams abated and were replaced by whimpers after Ace said quietly: "it's okay… no one's gonna hurt you…"

"Please… someone… help me…" Ace heard Kid whisper in her fiver delirium while tears streamed down her checks.

"What are we going to do now?" Robin asked, it was the first time Nami saw her friend having no clue what to do, and it made herself even sadder.

"Luffy what do you…" Zoro started to ask while he turned around but then he froze for an instant before he yelled madly, "LUFFY YOU NUMBSKULL!"

There was no sight of Luffy but just when Zoro wanted to run riot Sanji, who had placed Robin and Nami carefully down at the ground, run towards him and kicked him to the ground while he yelled furiously: "STOP YELLING, KID NEEDS QUIETY!"

Just when Nami tried to take all her strength together to get up and give them a clot, Ace said insistently yet still not to loud, "Shut up, both of you!"

Nami and Robin looked to Ace and Kid; Ace seemed to have a change of heart, he seemed back to his sober self, he even appeared to worry about Kid.

"Guys I think Kid's only getting worse the more she's moved around, I'll stay sometime here with her and you go ahead to get the raccoon doctor." Ace explained in an unusual soft tone while he looked down to Kid. "Okay, we go ahead to get help for Kitty~Kid! But don't you dare to harm her!" Sanji urged while Nami climbed again on his back as he lifted Robin back onto his arms.

"Just shut up and keep going." Nami commented a bit frustrated.

"What ever you wish for Nami~Swan!" Sanji replied and pass walked Zoro who just shock his head about his comrade as he followed them.

After some time Kid mumbled: "please, I promise to be a good girl, I do anything, but don't do it again Dad… please."

`That dirty swine!` Ace thought as his grasp got tighter, how could anybody do such a thing to a little girl?

"Ace?" heard the addressed person Kid weakly mumble, while she propped herself away from Ace body suddenly.

Ace looked worriedly in Kids glazed eyes, she still was sleepy. After some time Kid noticed that she had cried, so she averted her face and whipped her tears with her right arm away, before she looked coldly at Ace. When Kid was about to stand up Ace tried to stop her, "you shouldn't get up…", but it was already to late.

Again everything turned black around Kid and she sank unconscious back into Ace arms. "Oi Kid! Stay awake! Kid!" Ace wanted to awake Kid, but there was no use in trying, "Why do you think you've got to put up your big front, even if it's clear that you need someone to depend on?" Ace mumbled while he watched some minutes whether Kid would be still restless. Once he was sure that Kid was deeply unconscious he lifted her up as he stood up and followed the traces of the rest of the group. Ace, with Kid in his arms caught up with the Zoro, Sanji, Robin and Nami, who just had met Luffy.

The rest of the way the group traveled without further interruption, except that they almost lost Zoro out of their sight several times.

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><p>When Luffy, Zoro, Sanji (still with Robin in his arms and Nami on his bag) and Ace with Kid in his arms who was getting restless again, reached the camp they found both Usopp (who was holding his slingshot) and Chopper sleeping snuggled up to each other. Luffy and Zoro looked surreptitiously at each other while Sanji set Nami carefully down. While Luffy and Zoro sneaked up behind Usopp and Chopper, Ace set Kid down and tried to wake her up before she'd frail around herself again after Robin got off Sanjis arms and went to her tent to rest a little while longer. "SPIDER ATTACK!" Luffy and Zoro screamed as loud as possible, what caused Usopp and Chopper to jump awake and scream with panic while searching for cover. Compared to Usopp, who ran into a tent, Chopper hid behind a rock while rummaging in his pants pocket for a Rumble-Ball. Luffy and Zoro burst out into laughter eventually, when Chopper looked anxiously forth from his hideout. "EH… YOU BULLIES!" Chopper yelled when he realized that it was all a prank.<p>

"Where is the spider! I'm gonna chase it away!" Usopp yelled with still shaking legs while he ran out holding a his slingshot ready to fire, because he had heard Luffy and Zoro laugh out loud so he knew that he was save no matter what.

"THEY PRANKED US!" Chopper screamed still doubtfully while Luffy and Zoro were wide grinning.

"Luffy, Zoro, stop teasing the raccoon doctor, your comrades are injured!" Ace said reasonably.

"Right, sorry…" Luffy and Zoro apologized while Chopper set his straight face on before he took his bag and walked towards Kid. Sanji and Nami were kneeling next to Kid and looked worried at her while Ace was trying to wake Kid up.

"Make way she needs some air!" Chopper ordered rebukingly. Ace stood up immediately and let chopper to Kids site while Sanji and Nami didn't move away.

"Nami are you alright you look a bit tired?" Chopper asked while he took Kids puls, "and where's Robin?" he added when he put a thermometer in Kids mouth

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine!" Nami stated and added, "Robin went to her tent she was a little bit pale after all"

"I have to get Kids fever down first then I'll go examine Robin." Chopper said after he looked a bit shocked at the thermometer.

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><p><em>"<em>_Where am I?" Kid asked when she opened her eyes and it was still dark around her. Kid stood up looking around, trying to find a point to orientate herself._

_Kid figured that it was the best to not move away until she had some sort of orientation so she sat down on the floor eventually. Suddenly a door behind Kid swung open and the light from the outside lightened the room up. Kids eyes widened when she saw so many pictures on the wall, even though she had burned them after she had returned to this place, she recognized every single picture. When Kid heard a low-voiced weep she turned her startled face towards the light source and saw Him. Her father walked through that door dragging a young blond girl with a doctored leg behind him, Kid recognized that girl as her eight-year-old-self. Kid stood up without taking her horrified gaze from her father while she thought perplexedly: `What's going on? Why is he here?`. She walked slowly backwards the nearer the big man came towards her (even though she was by then a grown up woman she was still 3 heads shorter than her father). When her father threw her younger-self in front of her to the ground, Kid closed her eyes and winced back while turning her head away and ended up hitting her leg against a dresser. Kid opened her eyes hesitatingly and saw one picture she hadn't had burned, but she had cut out three faces from it: a family picture with her mother, father, her baby brother and herself when she was 8 years old in front of their house; That picture would be taken the day after that incident. When Kid saw her mother's happy face she was reminded that her mother choose rather a happy lie then see the ugly truth and how she just walked away when she needed her the most, she would never forget those moments. `I won't look simply away! I'm never going to be as weak as you!` Kid thought to herself as she forced her self to watch the scenario. But the trauma of this event transfixed her on the spot, so that she wasn't able to step in, but watching how her father kicked her younger-self in the stomach when she was trying to stand up brought tears into her eyes. "How dare you to run away?!" her father yelled as he pulled the little Kid up to her feet holding onto her hair before he hit her._

_Kids younger-self screamed in agony when ever she was hit. "Please dad! I'm sorry, I won't do it again… I promise!" Kid heard her younger-self begging as she was pressed against the floor while her father took of his belt. "You're not getting away with a simple apology!" her father yelled as he hit her a couple of times with his belt buckle._

_But then her father suddenly stopped the beating and threw his belt away as he said with a tone in his voice which made Kids hair stand on end: "I'm going to teach you a lesson you won't forget!"_

_He griped onto her hair and dragged her along with him as he walked upstairs. When Kid saw her younger-self getting dragged into the parents bedroom she snapped out of her paralyzation. With terror in her eyes Kid yelled: "NO! NO! DON'T DO THAT! PLEASE, DON'T DO THAT!" as she came rushing up the stairs._

_When she reached the door she saw her father, who had thrown her younger-self on the bed, start to unclothe her younger-self who still tried to oppose. Kid felt how her panic was about to hit herself again so she spurted towards her father to knock him away from her younger-self, but instead of pulling him away she walked right through him and almost hit the wall. Kid turned around to make a second desperate attempt to allure her father from her younger-self. Kid tried to tear her father away with a jackknife but she fell again through him as if she was nothing but a ghost and ended up lying on the floor. Then Kid heard a painful squeal from her younger-self followed by whimpers of pain. Kid clenched her fist, so that her finger nails plunge into her flesh until she bled, as she heard her father moan over and over, she felt as helpless as she did back then. "Please stop it…" Kid pressed through her teeth as she tried to cover her ears while tears streamed down her face, but she couldn't help it his moans were stuck in her head._

_After one last loud moan it became silence apart from a few bitter sob. "You're pathetic!" Kid heard her father scoff at her younger-self, "since your old enough for running away you might as well do a woman's job."_

_Kid heard how her father spit at her younger-self before he walked towards the door. He pass walked Kid before he stopped and turned around and looked at Kids younger-self with a steely glance before he said mercilessly: "you'll better tidy that mess up before your mom's coming home, otherwise…"_

_Never would Kid forget this glance her father gave her that day before he walked out of that room. When Kid finally managed to get up she whipped her tears off her face and turned around to her younger-self. She could read the terror in the eyes of this picture of misery as she slowly approached the bed. Kid sat down next to her shivering younger-self, who clasped her arms around her keens. Kid was gulping back her tears when she mumbled: "I'm so sorry that this is only the beginning of your suffering… but you'll come off stronger eventually" Kid tried to convince herself the moment her younger-self stood up and walked out of the room whipping her tears away. Kid watched her leave the room before tears streamed down her face again and she said to herself: "I hope so much we'll come off stronger…"_

When Kid awoke, she felt that someone kept her jaw shut with both arms and pressed her head against his stomach while 4 other persons clutched her limbs to the ground. Adrenaline rust through her veins as her panic was about to hit her and with a strong jolt Kid freed both of her arms and legs, then she gripped on to that person who was holding on to her jaw and threw him over herself so that he crashed against two of the other persons. Kid jumped onto her feet, but sunk back to the ground immediately. "Kid, everything's fine! Stop panicking, I was the whole time around!" Nami yelled startled while Kid breathed heavily and looked bewilderedly around.

"Calm down Kid I told the others to hold you down because you maybe would have injured yourself, might even bit your tongue off! Everything's fine, so calm down!" Chopper explained while Ace who was thrown against Luffy and Zoro, stood up.

Nami let Kid breathe trough a couple of times before she asked hesitatingly: "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" Kid stated with a flat voice.

"I'm so glad you woke up Kitty-Kid!" Sanji said in relive.

Kid pulled herself together and stood up after she muttered: "stop calling me that."

"Kid you really should rest for a while longer. Because you moved too much around after the sting hit you the poison was able to spread out." Chopper tried to hold Kid back with reasoning, but Kid just threw the towel which stuck on her forehead to the ground, turned around and walked away without considering Choppers advice after she picked up her messenger bag.

"As I said I'm fine, you should rather look how Robin's doing." Kid retorted with a now more firm voice, she had figured that Robin was resting since she wasn't around with Nami and the others.

"Yeah but…" Chopper started saying when Kid was rummaging in her bag while she diverged from the camp.

"She's right you should have a look on Robin, don't worry I'll keep an eye on her." Ace promised after he saw that Chopper didn't know what the right decision was.

Chopper and Sanji carrying Nami, who convinced him that she didn't wanted to take the risk to let the poison spread out, went to Robin's tent eventually while Luffy narrowed Usopp from their adventure. While Zoro opened a bottle of saké, Ace followed Kid unnoticed by her, how he thought.

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><p>That was a very disturbing chapter for me; I just hope people took the warning from the top serious. I hope this chapter will be allowed to be uploaded, since I tried to write it as less graphic as possible.<p> 


	21. Chapter 20: Dreams are but Shadows

I hope some of you readers did read the previous chapter even though I warned you that it would be very disturbing.

I think the best I can do is to warn you when I'll upload a disturbing chapter and hope that some will read it regardlessly! Don't worry this one is save!

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><p>Chapter 20: Dreams are nothing Shadows<p>

Ace followed Kid with distance while she was putting her guitar together. After some time Kid stopped, sat down and started seemingly thoughtless playing guitar while Ace took cover behind some rocks, listening to the sound of the guitar, it was a slow and slightly melancholic melody but still beautiful. After some time passed Kid started to sing as well:

"I will not make

The same mistakes that you did

I will not let myself

Cause my heart so much misery

I will not break

The way you did

You fell so hard

I've learned the hard way

To never let it get that far

Because of you

I never stray to far from the sidewalk

Because of you

I learned to play on the safe side, so I don't get hurt

Because of you

I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me

Because of you

I am afraid

I lose my way

And it's not to long before you point it out

I cannot cry

Because I know that's weakness in your eyes

I was forced to fake

A smile, a laugh, everyday of my life

My heart can't possibly break

When it wasn't even whole to start with

Because of you

I never stray to far from the sidewalk

Because of you

I learned to play on the safe side, so I don't get hurt

Because of you

I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me

Because of you

I am afraid

I watched you die

I heard you cry

Every night in your sleep

I was so young

You should have known better than to lean on me

You never thought of anyone else

You just saw your pain

And now I cry in the middle of the night

For the same, damn thing

Because of you

I never stray to far from the sidewalk

Because of you

I learned to play on the safe side so I don't get hurt"

Suddenly Kid played the melody faster and sang with more speed and power in her voice.

"Because of you

I try my hardest just to forget everything

Because of you

I don't know how to let anyone else in

Because of you

I'm ashamed of my life because it's empty

Because of you

I am afraid"

Just when Ace started to get into the groove of the melody, it slowed down again.

"Because of you

Because of you"

With the last tone of this song Kid stopped playing guitar and put it down in front of her. Just when Ace was about to leave because he didn't wanted Kid to think that he would stalk her she suddenly said laud enough that he could hear her: "Ace would you mind to sit next to me for a while."

At first Ace eyed Kid suspiciously, did he hear correctly? Since when did Kid address him in such a polite way? "Please, I need to tell you something important." Kid urged after some time past almost desperately, what caused Ace to approach her but he would make sure to keep a bit of distance.

Ace sat three to four meters away from Kid down while she looked almost ashamed at her boots. After some moments of awkwardness Ace broke the silence by asking: "What's wrong?"

"I wanted to thank you properly for earlier." Kid said in a low voice before she leaned towards Ace placing her hand between him and her, so that she would look from below at him with an inquiry look, "but I don't know how I could express my gratitude." Kid asked innocently looking at Ace with big dark blue eyes.

At the first moment Ace thought about to check for other signs, that this would be okay, but all he could do was to let his view shift to her slightly opened lips and all his warning signals turned off. "I guess I know there some things…" Ace murmured with a wolfish grin and leaned towards Kid.

When Ace closed his eyes he could feel Kids breath at his lips while Kid put her other hand at his nape. Their lips were separated by a few millimeters when suddenly a vicious grin on Kids lips appeared. With one yank Kid bashed Ace' face into the sandy ground and pushed him deeper into it. As Kid let go of Aces' head she jumped up to her feet and when Ace glared up to Kid she kicked into the sand in front of him so that it would fly into his face. Ace screamed in pain while Kid said callously: "before you ever dare to get so close to me again you'll better remember this pain, you filthy bastard." Before she picked up her guitar and pass walked him.

"YOU FREAKING BITCH!" Ace yelled spitefully.

How could he have thought that this arrogant and egotistical person could have a soft side? From now on he wouldn't give a damn about her, even if that witch would be burned at a stage, he wouldn't care! After some time the irritation of Ace's eyes stopped and he could see clearer again, so he stood up and walked back to the camp.

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><p>When Ace arrived back at the camp Sanji had already prepared lunch and had handed it out to all crew members, even Robin sat next to Chopper, but she still seemed a bit pale. Sanji gave Ace a bowl of his stew with rice while he holdback an invidious commentary, about how Ace had yelled at Kid (even though she didn't care about it). "Hey Luffy what's your brother so peeved about?" Usopp asked his captain in a low voice when he noticed how Ace was ill-temperedly gulping down his food.<p>

"Nah… He'd say if he needs something." Luffy answered blithely before he yelled, "SANJI REFILL… PLEASE!" Luffy added with a grin when he saw Sanji glare at him.

After Sanji refilled Luffys bowl Kid asked in a distant manner. "Robin, how are you doing right now?"

"I am still a bit tiered but thank you for your concern." Robin answered a bit offishly.

"Alright then everyone's packing together their stuff, we'll set out and Sanji's going to carry you farther." Kid announced after she had stood up.

"Of course I'll carry Robin… but I wanted to make a dessert for my Nami-swan, Robin-chan and you Kitty-Kid!" Sanji said gaily.

Kid approached Sanji with grand strides and seized him by his collar and pulled him a bit closer towards her face: "I said we set out!" she hissed before she let go of him and he sunk a bit disturbed to the ground.

`I could almost feel sorry for that Ero-cook… but only almost.` Zoro thought to himself and started to grin mischievously.

"What are you grinning about?" Kid growled glaring at Zoro when she took the scoop and started to clean it before she put it into Sanjis backpack while the others started to follow her example by starting to tide up the camp.

Half an hour later the group set out partly groaning and moaning to fallow Kid who was already waiting for them at the top of a sand hill. When the entire group started to walk upwards the hill Kid was standing on, she turned around and walked ahead.

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><p>Kid paced her way onward but she waited for the rest of the group from time to time while she looked around to make sure that they wouldn't get attacked. During the long way through the desert Kid had enough time to think about the past few days and her current situation; she came eventually to the conclusion that she'd might been a bit to harsh to everyone. When Eqrado came in sight the sun was already some time down. Kid stood on top of a hill and looked down to the peaceful shining lights of some houses before she turned around, walked back to the bottom of the hill and saw that all of the group were exhausted, even though some of them tried to hide it, especially Ace. "We'll make a break for today and go tomorrow late in the morning to Eqrado… that was a stiff job to come this far in half a day… well done everyone!" Kid said in a less stern way when the group was about to climb up the hill Kid just returned from.<p>

"That was nothing…" Chopper said self-consciously (after the sunset he walked by himself) while grinning like a Cheshire cat just as Sanji did while he let Robin at her request down.

While Luffy, Zoro and Nami grinned in approval of Kids acknowledge of their hard work Usopp just laid on the ground as he was huffing and puffing. Ace just grunted despisingly before he started to build up his tent while Kid approached the group. "I don't need your help…" Ace answered dismissively when Kid offered to help him.

"fine…" Kid responded annoyed and stuck out her tongue before she went to Usopp to help him up to his feet and to build up his tent.

Just when Sanji had supper ready and called for the group everyone came to eat immediately. After the first turmoil because of handing out the food and most of the group was sated Kid pieced together her guitar and started to play while Luffy and Ace finished the rest of the food off.

"You're exactly what were missing in my crew… I'm sure we're gonna have lot's of fun with you as our musician!" Luffy said happily while Usopp and Chopper were nodding keenly.

"What? I've never said I would join your crew." Kid protested immediately without stopping her guitar play.

"You'd fit into my brothers crazy crew pretty well… even though you're rather a psychopath!" Ace said sarcastically he was pretty sure she would do the opposite from what ever he would suggest.

"Just shut your mouth!" Kid responded annoyed to Ace's commentary.

"But Ace is right… I believe that you would fit in too." Nami tried to encourage Kid to stay with them, since she saw her plans for bringing her and Ace together shatter.

"I don't think that she'd fit in at all!" Zoro stated suddenly.

"WHAT! Say that again into my face!" Sanji yelled offended when he stood up ready to jump at Zoro's throat.

"Really think about it, we all are led by our dreams but she never even mentioned it and therefore she doesn't fit into our group but that's…" Zoro explained but just when he wanted to say that he wouldn't interfere with Luffys will Sanji jumped at his throat and tried to fight him down.

"Well Zoro's got a point there…" Luffy said while Zoro and Sanji were grappling, "so what's your dream!?" Luffy added happily.

"Dreams are shadows." Kid said after she stopped playing guitar.

While Luffy sat there in shock Kid got up to her feet and left the campfire.

"Oi Luffy, are you okay?" Usopp asked

"Dreams aren't just shadows." Luffy mumbled before he jumped up to his feet and yelled to Kid, "Everybody needs a dream!"

"Don't get to upset about that!" Chopper and Usopp tried to calm down Luffy but all they got to hear was an offended grunt from him.

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><p>The song is from <strong><em>Kelly Clarkson: Because of you.<em>**

I would appreciate some reviews also I'd like to know how many people actually read the last chapter.


	22. Chapter 21: Dreams live eternally

Hi guys, as far as I'm can tell no one did read Chapter 19 through (since no one wrote a single coment or anything) is that about right? That's sad because I really think it is pretty good. however here's the next one (hope some people appreciate the hard work I put in).

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><p><em>Chapter 21: Dreams live eternally<em>

After some time past the Straw-hat crew went in there tents and crawled into their sleeping bags, but Luffy couldn't sleep he just couldn't let Kids' statement stay like that. So he stood up and exited his tent. He saw Kid sitting by the fireplace her guitar next to her. Luffy plug up his courage and walked towards Kid and sat vis-à-vis of her. "What's up?" Kid asked as if it was nothing, to get Luffy to come out with what he wanted.

"I'm really disappointed in you!" Luffy said huffily.

"You really believe I care about what you think about me." Kid said disbelievingly.

"I don't think you don't have a dream!" Luffy retorted, "You're just scared to go after it!"

Suddenly Kid stood up and jumped over the fire, landed in front of Luffy and collared him. "I'm not scared about anything; I merely accepted the fact as it is." Kid hissed brusquely.

"So you've basically given up." Luffy said without thinking.

Kid suddenly looked more perplexed than belligerently before she let go of Luffy and walked around the fire.

"No I haven't given up… there's just no way my dream's coming true." Kid said almost subliminally when she picked up her guitar and walked away.

"Luffy haven't we told you not to make a fuss about that!" Usopp and Chopper said as they opened their tents and walked to their capitan as Nami, Sanji, Zoro and Robin came out of their tents as well.

"Kitty-Kid has a sore past, no wonder she believes her dream won't come true." Sanji said maturely but then he became suddenly silent and listened to a melody which Kid played on her guitar sitting at the top of the hill from where Eqrado was in sight.

The beautifully melody sounded almost optimistically but became a sad touch when Kid started to sing:

"We wanted the day

But the night did stay.

At a single blow

Our plans shattered so long ago.

We were the world but now you're lost

I'd give anything to see you again, no matter what's the cost."

Kid paused the melody for a bit before she played it a little faster when she sang the refrain:

"Dreams live eternally I used to say

But it's not that way

Our time won't be over I always said

But it's not like that

I know to well you're no longer here

But I hold on to you my dear

Dreams live eternally I always said

But it only seemed like that

Not seeing you still makes me sad"

After the melody slowed down and another short pause took place Kid played the melody as in the beginning, before she sang the second verse:

"How could end a team like we used to be

I try so hard and hope you are proud of me

We were the light that kept the shadows away

But now that you're gone they hunt me everyday

Dreams live eternally I used to say

But it's not that way

Our time won't be over I always said

But it's not like that

I know to well you're no longer here

But I hold on to you my dear

Dreams live eternally I always said

But it only seemed like that."

Kid added to the anew fast melody two slaps on the guitar before she sang the bridge passage:

"Picked you up when you fell to the floor

Still you taught me much more

Encouraged me to change myself for the better

So the wrongs wouldn't matter"

Again the melody slowed down before Kid played it at first speed and sang the refrain:

"Dreams live eternally I used to say

But it's not that way

Our time won't be over I always said

But it's not like that

I know for sure you're no longer here

But I hold on to you my dear

Dreams live eternally I always said

But it only seemed like that

…

Not seeing you still makes me sad"

The melody slowed down until it finally stopped. The straw-hat crew did ascend the hill in the mean time while listening to the song. Nami and Robin looked at each other before they went to Kid and sat down next to her.

"Are you okay?" Nami asked a bit worriedly.

"A Dream causes nothing but troubles…" Kid mumbled in a flat voice.

"I thought the same way at some point, but then Luffy and the others helped me." Nami tried to cheer Kid up.

"C'mon tell me about your dream. Together as a team we can reach all our dreams!" Luffy stated but was slapped at the back of the head by Sanji.

"What was that for?" Luffy asked.

"If you'd listen to Kids past you'd know about her dream already, bubblehead!" Sanji said a bit irritated.

"But I don't care about her past I just want to know what her dream is!" Luffy explained.

"My goal was to life a happy and peaceful life with my brother." Kid undeceived Luffy.

"Then let's pick up your brother, he can be part of our crew too!" Luffy stated enthusiastically and earned a clout from Zoro who said: "Luffy, her brother was killed by pirates!"

"So that's why you hate pirates!" Luffy said surprisingly earnest after he seemed quite shocked.

"And why I'll never reach my goal…" Kid added in a flat voice.

"You just have to adjust your goal to your current situation!" Robin advised suddenly.

"Yeah Robin's right you can still live a happy life, if you want too!" Usopp said.

"Yeah and you definitely won't find anyone else who is so much fun as we are!" Chopper said eagerly.

Kid looked almost disbelievingly to the crew, before she finally said: "All right, let me reconsider your offer then, Luffy."

"Yahoo, Great!" Luffy yelled happily, because in his mind that meant she would join their crew, definitely.

"Now that that's more or less clarified, let's go to bed." Zoro stated yawing and walked in the direction of Eqrado.

"Zoro, you're walking in the wrong direction!" Chopper said, what caused Zoro to let his head hang and followed the rest of the Straw-hats and Kid down to the tents.

After a small quarrel between Zoro and Sanji, who teased Zoro because of his lack of sense of direction the Straw-hats went to there tents while Kid sat again down in front of the fire place.

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><p>When Ace awoke the next day he stretched his arms out and yawned, before he fought himself a way out of his sleeping bag when he smelled fried sausages. Ace quickly opened his tent and was surprised to see not Sanji but Kid cocking at the fireplace. Still grumpy because of the other day he went back to his sleeping bag to pack it into his kit bag, it sure wouldn't take long till at least Luffy would get up to go eat. While he rolled his sleeping bag together Ace thought about what he had witnessed last night:<p>

Ace awoke from the noise of an impact and at first he was about to fall asleep when he suddenly heard Kid say from afar, that she hadn't given up, but there was no way that her dream would come true. Ace got up after he untangled himself from his sleeping bag and walked towards the entrance of his tent and looked through a gap and spotted Kid walking away from Luffy while holding her guitar in her hand. Just when Ace wanted to step outside he heard Usopp and Chopper speak, that they had told Luffy not to make a big deal of it. After Ace heard Sanji say that he understood why Kid didn't believe in her dream he heard Kid start playing on the guitar. When Ace saw the crew of Luffy climb up one hill he stepped out side and listened to the song Kid sang. At first he wanted to join the rest of Luffys' crew but then he remembered Kids bitchy behaviour and he just listened to the conversation the rest of the group had. Ace was surprised when he heard that Kid would think about it to join Luffys' crew, he hadn't expected that. When Ace went back into his tent he thought `Maybe she 's changing already… anyway I won't change my mind again!` Ace added in thoughts a bit annoyed when he crawled back in his sleeping bag.

"BREAKFAST! I'm first. Give me some sausages Sanji!" Ace could hear Luffy yell and he stood up to leave his tent.

"Kid?! You made breakfast for me! Thank you so much" Luffy said thankful while drooling on his plate he had grasped, when he recognized that it wasn't Sanji who had prepared breakfast.

"Kitty~Kid you're such a lovely person you made breakfast for all of us, but you could've asked me for help!" Sanji said as he approached Kid and Luffy.

"I just thought you guys were exhausted from the other day and if I'd waited for you to wake up, it would have been afternoon till we'd leave to go to Eqrado." Kid explained indifferently, even though a vain was shown on her forehead when Sanji whacked Luffy over the head.

"Stop drooling over our breakfast Kitty-Kid prepared specially for us!" Sanji scolded Luffy, while Ace aligned to the line before the rest of the Straw-hats came out of their tents too.

It didn't take long for the rest of the Straw-hats to get up and got in line for the breakfast.

"Hey that's pretty good!" Nami said after she tried the pancackes Kid made.

"…Could use some salt in it." Ace grumbled.

"Don't you dare to Insult the breakfast Kitty-Kid prepared!" Sanji yelled madly.

"He's right, a bit more salt wouldn't hurt!", Zoro admitted, " but it still tastes better than your slop!" he added to tease Sanji.

"I like it though…" Luffy said between two bites, while a severe quarrel between Sanji and Zoro flared up.

"That's not a compliment Luffy… you like pretty much everything that's food related!" Usopp commented his captain remark while Kid stood up and approached Sanji and Zoro.

"…Enough now!" Kid said a bit vexedly as she stepped in to end the fight between Sanji and Zoro by whacking them both over their heads and added in her chilly voice to the others, "Eat up quickly so we can go to Eqrado!" before she went to the fireplace to start cleaning up the frying-pans.

After some time Sanji recovered from Kids attack only to take over the cleaning of the dishes and Kid helped Zoro, who had a bump on his back head, pack his tent together.

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><p>Only 15 minutes later the group was ready to sally towards Eqrado. When the group descent the hill on the other side, the group was already awaited by the citizens of Eqrado and heard them yell: "here they come!"<p>

A few of the citizens walked towards the group with the cart which was pulled by Luffy (under Kids watch) and started to unload it but Sanji only let the women take a few fruits so that they wouldn't get to exhausted by carrying them to the town while he defend the cart from the man by saying: "Never heard of the term lady's first? If you have the strength to walk toward us you can also show some manners!"

When the group arrived at the border of town all citizens clustered around the cart while Zoro, Robin, Ace and Kid looked intently around, the four hadn't forgotten about the marine but there was no sight of them at the border. Nami, Usopp, Sanji and Chopper distributed the food while Luffy tried to hoard a pill of meat for himself; Nami also was looking out for the daughter of the mayor. As Robin helped the citizens unload the planks with her Devil fruit abilities Zoro and Kid distributed the hoarded meat pill while Ace looked concerned down to Luffy who had been knocked down by Kid. "Zoro give me that rum." Kid demanded when she saw how Zoro drank from a bottle.

"I dunno what you're talking about" Zoro retorted as he tried to hide the bottle from Kid.

"Just as much as Luffy's not allowed to hoard meat you're not allowed to drink booze!" Kid said and approached Zoro.

"I know that…" Zoro said to Kid but then he whispered to Robin, who sat next to him "Yo help me…"

"I'm not up to get tangled up into this kind of problems." Robin explained with an offish smile as she was busy to distribute the planks anyway.

"You're too cruel…" Zoro muttered before he ran away from Kid, even though there was no use in trying.

Kid managed to overtake Zoro within seconds took the bottle of rum away and send him flying four to five meters against a wall.

"Good job Kitty-Cat! How dare he drink all the booze!" Luffy yelled, who had recovered from Kids attack, while he still was sitting quite dizzily on the ground.

Kid looked around and found a stone lying two meters away from her. When Kid jumped towards the stone Ace yelled: "Get down!" and ducked down to the ground.

"Ah Ace what's that all about?" Luffy asked.

Ace raised his head and looked around Luffy looked at him with a questioning expression on his face and Kid stood at the cart again with her back turned towards them while the stone still laid where it was. Ace growled annoyed as he stood up.

"Hey guys, Alisha's here to pick us up to go to the town hall to get our reward!" Nami yelled from the other end of the cart where also the daughter of the mayor stood, she seemed relieved that everything went so smoothly.

While Ace helped Luffy up to his feet Kid went to Zoro, who was still unconscious, and called Chopper so that he could transform into his reindeer form and Kid load Zoro onto Choppers back. As Luffy, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, with Zoro on his back Robin, Ace and Kid approached Nami and Alisha the two turned around to walk ahead.

Kid walked up to Nami and Alisha and asked: "We heard that the marine has come to this town haven't they arrived yet?"

"Yes they have arrived today, but don't worry we figured that the pirate ship belongs to you guys and since we knew you had to return eventually we hid it." the Alisha explained.

"I don't belong... ah forget it!" Kid retorted a bit annoyed when Usopp approached them.

"So did I hear correct you people hid our ship from the Marines?" Usopp asked.

"Well that and because we wanted to have a guarantee that you wouldn't get away without helping us!" Alisha answered honestly.

"So you didn't trust us to come back?" Chopper, who had closed the lines, asked.

"Of course not we have a history with pirates" explained the girl a bit more earnest but added then cheerfully, "but I'm very happy that you came back and helped us out!"

"Wait, where is our ship now!" Usopp wanted to know, he was very concerned about their ship.

"We hid it in a warehouse at the coast three kilometers southwards away from the town." Alisha answered with a smile.

When they came to a crossroad Robin and Kid noticed that two roads were blocked of by barricades. "Why are those two roads blocked?" asked Robin to her it was odd that two roads which cross each other would be blocked off.

"We needed to be sure that the Marines wouldn't get to the border of the town." Explained Alisha but with a shady smile she added, "And we had to arrange everything for leading you into a trap but since everything worked out nicely it wasn't necessary!"

"Oh boy you folks really don't trust pirates at all." Sanji stated.

"As I mentioned we have a history." Reminded Alisha but added before the group arrived at a square, "Please wait her for a second I have to check if my father's done talking to that marine Capitan."

"Are you sure they haven't told the Marines about us? What if she tells them about us right now?" Usoppe asked haggardly and looked worriedly around.

"Don't worry; we can handle a bunch of Marians." Luffy proclaimed confidently, "Right Kid?"

"Actually it would harm my reputation if I'm seen with you guys and I would be forced to leave the island." Kid explained soberly while she saw the Marine Capitan and two other Lieutenants leave the town hall.

"HEY YOU GUYS!" Luffy, who had suddenly a brilliant idea (or at least he thought it was a brilliant idea), yelled suddenly but Kid grabbed his head and smashed it against the next wall while the rest of the group was hidden from the sight of the marines.

The Marines' Capitan looked in the direction from where the yelling had come from and saw Kid with one hand waving at the Alisha and the mayor who also had left the town hall. He looked at Alisha and saw that she was waving back and turned around to continue his way eventually.

"What the heck… Are you bad shit insane?" snarled Kid after some time at Luffy while she still pushed him against the wall.

"Get over it! He just wants you to join his crew, what I definitely can't understand." Ace explained and gripped at her arm to twist it around, but ended up eventually to be the one whose arm was twisted around.

"Try that again, filthy pirate…" Kid snarled and added to Luffy, who was rubbing his face, "By the way I haven't said I would join your crew if I had to leave this island!" as she let go of Ace.

Ace turned around and kicked Kid away from him. Kid lost her balance and fell to the ground but jumped back to her feet quickly before she run towards Ace and punched him in his face. When Ace tackled Kid and dragged her to the ground Sanji yelled angrily: "Hey stop it Ace!"

But before Sanji could react Kid kicked Ace over herself while gripping at his wrists so that he hit the ground backside. Kid jumped up to her feet just when Ace turned around to lay on his belly side and breathed heavily while he struggled to get up. "Are you done with your tantrum?" Kid asked stiffly, she knew that he also struggled to hold back his devil fruit powers.

"Shut up stupid bitch!" Ace nagged spitefully.

"Hey stop insulting my Kitty-Kid!" Sanji and run towards Ace to kick him but he just blocked the hit with ease.

"What's going on here?" asked Alisha who had arrived at the scene.

"She's getting on my nerves all the time!" Ace yelled to give vent to his anger while Sanji stepped back from him.

"I'm not letting a pirate ruin my life again!" Kid explained sinisterly.

"As if your life's so fucking perfect, but not that I care!" Ace said angrily.

"It's not your business anyway." Kid retorted testily.

"Trouble in paradise?" asked the mayor who had followed his daughter and had made his assumption just when he saw Ace and Kid glare at each other.

"What?!" Kid and Ace asked simultaneously and looked at each other in disgust.

"He's definitely not my boyfriend." Kid insisted in her calm, frightening manner (what startled the mayor) while she felt how her stomach was rotating and she added as she placed her hand at her stomach while looking cranky at Ace, "And now I'm felling sick only by being around you."

"Then just leave." Ace snarled spitefully.

Kid walked away but just when Luffy wanted to follow her Kid said across her shoulder: "don't worry; I just go to the next pharmacy… See you guys later!"

"Should I give you something?" Chopper asked.

"I need to get away from him or I puke" explained Kid as she continued her way.

"Oh I am sorry for that… it was not my intention to upset her." Apologized the mayor and added, "I just got the feeling that you two would complement each other pretty well at first sight."

"Here we go, now I'm feeling sick as well." Ace said as he felt his stomach started turning upside down and the mayor slapped his palm against his mouth.

"Sorry… I better shut my mouth…" the mayor mumbled.

"Ah that's okay the two of them just hate each other!" Luffy explained while Zoro, who had woken up got back on his feet.

"Should I give you something for your stomach?" asked Chopper Ace when he turned back to his usual form and rummaged in his doctor bag.

"No I'll be okay; just leave me be for a while…" Ace insured a bit sickly and wandered off.

"However how about we come to business." Nami tried to get back on track, she still wanted her reward and that was all she could think of at the moment.

"Sure, please follow me to the town hall." The mayor said thankfully that Nami changed the subject and led the group to the town hall.

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><p>The song is originally called <strong>Träume leben ewig<strong> (Dreams live eternally) and is sung by **Christina Stürmer_._**

In this chapter I tried to give the canon characters more of their usual depths because up to this point I pretty much just portrayed them one dimensional. Please let me know in your comment if you liked my take on giving them more personality.


	23. Chapter 22: Fire

Hi guys

First thank you for your review ZabuzasGirl!

Secondly a random applause for me because I upload already 54'000 words in English, that's quite a lot I think. Wanna know how I celebrate this? By writing an even longer chapter than Chapter 12 (which has the most words so far)!

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><p>Chapter 22: Fire<p>

As the Straw hats, Alisha and the mayor approached the town hall the mayor said: "I can not thank you enough for providing my town with resources and nutrition."

"I had an idea how you can repay us our kindness." Said Nami with Berry sings in her eyes, "You could compensate our expenses, but you should consider also that we risked our live by crossing the desert… not to forget probable damages on our ship." She adduced reasons for giving them lots of money while grinning.

"Of course we are going to compensate all your expenses and your troubles will be redound to your reward too however we treated your ship with the highest of cautiousness." The mayor explained.

"That's great Thank you for that!" said Chopper light-hearted while he and the others followed the mayor into a room with a large safe.

"Well I will check that for myself and if there is a single screech at our ship you will get to know my wrath!" said Usopp and tried to sound intimidating while entering the room but he stumbled over a rug and looked silly while he struggled not to fall.

"Don't take him too seriously… however if our ship is damaged we will come back to you." Nami said with a sinister glance.

"Of course you can come back to my office but I can insure you there are no damages on your ship I watched the transport myself!" The mayor explained with risen arms in defense .

"You better did…" Usopp mumbled a bit huffily.

"Alright how high were your expenses in total?" asked the mayor turned towards Nami.

Nami thought for a moment and decided not to tell that they got the nutrition and the resources for the town for free. "We used a bit about 125'000 Berries", Nami rounded their expenses generously up, "But let's say that's about okay for our expenses."

"That's a lot of money!" Alisha said with widened eyes.

"The town is of course very thankful for your hard work to provide us with nutrition and resources so let's say we round that up to 150'000 Berries as a reward." The mayor said while turning red as he opened the safe.

"Oh but aren't you forgetting something? We couldn't use our money for three days therefore we want of course interests and compound interests." Nami explained sneakily while the mayor brook out into sweet when he took out the money.

"Now you're getting greedy." Alisha said with risen eyebrows.

"Well, well we really shouldn't get into troubles with our saviours," said the mayor appraisingly, "however I am very sorry to inform you that we can not give you more than 155'000 Berries." The mayor explained as he approached Nami recounting the money.

"Okay that's a deal." Nami said while counting the Berries herself the mayor had given to her, "but don't forget if our ship's broken we're coming back!" Nami insisted when she put her money in her bag before the group left the room.

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><p>"Dad, are we now bankrupt?" asked Alisha her father guiltily (after all she was the one who promised those pirates a reward).<p>

"Don't you worry about that, it'll be okay as long as they're not coming back to get the nest egg." the mayor insured.

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><p>"Why are you smiling like that, Robin?" asked Usopp on the way out of the town hall when Robin let her arm sink after she had used her devil fruit power to observe the mayors and his daughters conversation.<p>

"Nothing at all." answered Robin in her aloof manner after she saw how happy Nami was about their money they got as they exited the town hall to wait out side for Kid and Ace.

"I'm bored… and hungry. I have an idea let's go eat in a restaurant now that they have food again!" Luffy said after a short time of waiting.

"Well I guess we could effort a little snack now." Nami said slowly.

"But what about Kitty-Kid, I think we should wait here for her!" said Sanji.

"I'm sure she's going to wait here for us once she returns from the pharmacy. Come to think I wanted to buy some clothes, would you be a gentleman and guardian who accompanies me and Robin?" Nami asked while fluttering her eyelashes.

"Ah… Of course Nami~swan." answered Sanji with hearts in his eyes.

"Alright Zoro I give you some money so that you guys can go grab something to eat." Nami said while she took out a few bank notes, "but look out for the Marines… oh and don't get lost too!" Nami added after she turned around to go with Sanji and Robin.

"Ehrm to whom are you talking to?" asked Usopp and Chopper.

Nami turned around and there was no sight of Zoro or Luffy . "Zoro, Luffy…" Nami grumbled annoyed, "go find them and try to keep them out of trouble; we'll meet up here later!"

"Can we get some money too, in case they used it by the time we find them?" Chopper asked.

with a grunt Nami fished two bank notes out of her bag, before she turned around and left the square with Sanji and Robin.

"Do you really think it's a good idea to let Kid and Ace meet each other all by themselves?" Robin whispered Nami in her ear while Sanji went ahead to check that there were no Marines in front of them.

"Sooner or later they have to be alone eventually!" Nami explained in a low voice with a grin and a shrug of her shoulders.

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><p>In the meantime Kid had walked through the streets which were full of life: people had opened their restaurants and some booths again and people had gathered around while other people delivered nutrition in pushcarts from the town border; while also the carpenter workshops had gone into operation to work on fisher boots. Children were running around. Kid was pleasantly surprised only a few days ago the town seemed almost deserted, but she knew that this wasn't just the work of the Straw-hat pirates.<p>

"Mommy, Mommy I know now what I want to be when I grow up!" heard Kid a little boy say enthusiastically, "I'm going to be a pirate!"

"Don't you dare to yell so loudly, the marines could here you!" nagged the mother, "have you forgotten that they brought us also nutrition!"

"But it's way more fun to be a pirate then a marine! I don't like standing still and stuff like that and Daddy said the marines are cutthroats" complaint the little boy.

Kid had to smile when she heard that, there was a time that she thought the same about marines Kid walked into the next pharmacy. "Excuse me I'd like to buy some stomach- and headache pills." Kid said when she waited a few seconds at the cashier booth but no one was around.

"Please wait a second I'll be there for you soon." A pharmacist Explained from the backroom.

"Thank you so much for your help. " heard Kid the pharmacist say when she and a woman with lilac hair and glasses dressed in a doctor coat came from the backroom.

The doctor exited the pharmacy as the pharmacist approached Kid. "I'm sorry for the waiting," I had to take the delivery from the marine doctor." Explained the pharmacist and asked, "How can I help you?"

"I'd like to buy some stomach and headache pills, but I don't have a lot of money since I helped the pirates to buy nutrition." Explained Kid in a low voice.

"Oh so you're friends with the pirates who helped us out? Then I think I can give you a little discount!" said the pharmacist while she turned around to find some pills for Kid. "How much money do you have on you?"

"15 berries…" Kid answered.

"Oh then I can give you only the headache pills, but I can give you a sample of camomile tea, maybe it'll help" Said the pharmacist.

"So the prices really did get higher since the marines are here?" Kid asked while the pharmacist brought her a cup of tea from the backroom.

"Yes, but that's not too bad either, after all I think the prices were to low, but up until now we couldn't raise them because of the other pharmacies!" explained the pharmacist while Kid drank the tea.

"Thank you very much, I feel better already!" explained Kid and gave the pharmacist the money for the headache pills, before she left the pharmacy.

"Please say thank you to the pirates!" said the pharmacist as she started to clean up the pharmacy

`The people are very thankfully for what Luffy and the others did… I think I made a decision!` Kid thought while she walked back to the town hall to wait for the Straw-hats to tell them that she would join them.

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><p>While Kid got the headache pills for the journey with the Straw-hats (because she knew she would need a lot of them) Ace wanted to go to the warehouse outside of town but it wasn't to easy to get there since marines were patrolling around the area the closer he got to the town border. After Ace went into a side road, because he tried to avoid some marines, who were watching that the people who wanted to get into a building wouldn't make trouble. Ace walked through the side road but waited at the end of it when he heard a marine say: "Vice Admiral Jonathan… We found the ship of the Straw-hat pirates in a warehouse southwards at the coast the rest of my unit remains currently at the warehouse."<p>

"Really is that so… so once again we'll encounter the Straw-hat pirates… I want you to take as many men as we can spare and surround the warehouse."

`Shit what does the Vice Admiral from the G-8 do here? That'll be troublesome since they found Luffys' ship.` Ace thought and turned around to get back to the town hall, in order to warn Luffy and the others. As he exited the side route where he came from he tried not to look suspicious and walked the other way, but then one of the marines yelled: "Hey you there!" and Ace ran off and didn't hear the marine to his workmate say, "what a weirdo, I thought he was looking for the marine supplies."

Ace really didn't had the time to fight of marines, since he needed to warn Luffy and the rest of the straw hats, so he ran and jumped over some boxes from time to time. Once Ace snatched an apple from a box and gulped it in one bite while he heard one man yell after him: "halt you thief!" who started to chase after him, but gave up a short time later.

After quite some time running around, while trying to avoid marines, Ace stopped eventually and looked around confused: "shit, now I'm completely lost!" Ace mumbled annoyed while scratching his head.

He then saw a woman lock the door of a pharmacy and approached her. "Excuse me Ma'am…" Ace started to ask politely, but stopped when he saw a doctor with lilac hair carrying a little box running up towards them.

"Sorry, I just closed the pharmacy, if it isn't urgent I would like to go home now." the pharmacist explained nicely but decisively.

"Ah never mind…" said Ace hastily and turned around because he noticed that, that doctor was also from the marines, while he walked a bit stiffly away he heard that the doctor started chatting with the pharmacist. Ace ended up asking an old couple for directions. When Ace reached the square where the town hall was he found Kid sitting almost imperiously at the stairway to the town hall.

"Have you settled down already or are you still bitching around?" asked Ace provocatively when he approached her.

Kid just looked a bit annoyed at him but decided not to answer that question and noticed that this irritated him even more when she looked back to the middle of the square. Ace folded his arms and glared at Kid, it almost pissed him just as much off when she ignored him than when she argued with him. "Do you think, the others are still in there?", Ace asked annoyed and yet again Kid just looked at him without any indication that she would answer his question, so he bent over her and almost yelled: "Hey, I'm talking to you!"

"I'm getting a headache from you so would you just shut up and get of my face" Kid said just as annoyed.

"So you have to be on purpose an annoying hack?!" Ace asked while his nerves were shot as he straightened himself.

"And you just have to be a provocative jerk all the time!" Kid retorted, who had stood up to look him right in the eyes since she stood on the first stair and then even stepped one stair up to look down on him.

That was too much for Ace to take, how dared that heck to consider herself superior, he channelled his anger through his fist, which flared up and slung it towards Kid. But she jumped over him and the flared up fist hit the stairs, which cracked. "What the heck… are you out of you're mind?!" Kid asked irritated, "I don't know whether or notLuffy and the others are still in there." Kid said because she thought he was mad about her not answering his question.

"I hate your pretentious attitude!" Ace yelled while he run towards her to punch her in the face, but Kid dodged sideways.

When Kid took a swing for a horizontal karate chop Ace duck down and kicked Kid off her feet. As Kid fell to the ground she hit Ace with a blow on his chin and Ace hit the ground 2 meters away. "Stop fighting on low flame already that's disgraceful for me!" Ace yelled when he and Kid jumped back on their feet, he almost felt embarrassed that he couldn't take Kid, who didn't use full strength, out by using his devil fruit ability.

"Not before you stop rampaging like a child and start using your brain to fight!" retorted Kid determinedly, glaring at Ace; she didn't want a donated victory.

Ace glared back at Kid, no one was allowed to call him a child with acceptation of Whitebeard; he strained his muscles as he ran yelling towards Kid. Ace tried to punch Kid in her stomach but she just waited till the last moment to turn a cartwheel to dodge the attack and kicked Ace in his face in doing so. Ace lurched sideways away but didn't fall to the ground, he turned towards Kid and looked at her his eyes like daggers before he stepped back with his left foot and pulled his fist behind his shoulder. Ace concentrated and his fist burst into flames. "Fire Fist!" Ace yelled when he flung his fist towards Kid and realised a firestorm.

The flames swept across the square towards while Kid did jackknife out of the way as Ace run towards her. Ace rammed his knee into her stomach area before he struck her with a blow on her chin. Kid was flung through the air and landed on her back 3 meters away from Ace. "How do you like that bitch!?" Ace asked.

Kid, who had closed her eyes because of pain when Ace had ram his knee into her stomach, opened her eyes and mumbled annoyed: "Oh shit… what have you done!"

"What?!" Ace asked half confused half vexed before his eyes followed Kids glance when his stomach tightened as he swallowed and added, "Geez… That'll cause trouble."

"Where did this firestorm come from?!" asked a young man who was one of the people(who had minded their own business and gave Ace and Kid a wide berth) that were scattered around the square while some of them even cowered at the ground. "Fire! The house caught fire!" yelled a few people in panic pointing at the burning roof.

When Kid got back on her feet still looking with disbelieve on the mess Ace had created: while some people ran towards the burning house a few people scattered into the streets which led to the ocean as the rest ran chaotically around. "How can someone be so idiotic, using his destructive ability in a place like this and cause such a chaos?" Kid began to nag still looking at the flushed people and the flames.

Ace stepped to Kids side looking at the burning building and said: "Shush I need to concentrate so I can put out the fire!"

While Ace tried to concentrate Kid punched him in the stomach while she turned around. Ace fell to the ground holding his stomach and looked angrily and distorted in pain up to Kid. "You think I'll let you use your devil fruit power!? You'll most likely spread out the fire even further!"

Ace glared at Kid, while rubbing his hurting stomach and just when he wanted to reply angrily he and Kid heard from one of the streets leading to the square a firm voice say: "Everyone calm down the Marine has everything under control! Lieutenant Gilbert, go with some of your man to the coast and bring water, hurry!"

Some Marines tried to hinder more people to enter the square while a few marines led by the Vice Admiral tried to evacuate the square or at least get them away from the burning house, while the rest of the marines were rushing to the ocean to fetch water.

"I think we'd better leave before the square is full of marines." Ace suggested after he had gotten up to his feet again, but before Kid could respond to Ace the two heard a woman cry from one of the streets.

"That's my house! LET ME THROUGH MY CHILDREN ARE IN THERE!" the woman yelled and Ace as well as Kid recognized the pharmacist who burst through the marines, who tried to stop the crowds to enter the square.

Kid and Ace exchanged a short alarmed glance, "Come on we need to help them!" Kid said firmly and ran towards the house while the Marines were occupied holding back the masses.

Ace didn't hesitate to follow Kid to the knot of people in front of the burning building while the pharmacist ran towards her house, but she was held back by Vice Admiral Jonathan. "LET GO MY CHILDREN NEED ME!" screamed the pharmacist hysterically while hitting with powerless strikes, trying to free herself from Jonathans grip.

"Please stop my wife, she's going to burn in there!" yelled a man anxiously from the knot of people.

As Jonathan managed to get the pharmacist into the arms of her husband Ace and Kid passed behind his and the other marines back. "Hey you two freeze!" yelled one marine as Kid caught his attention when she kicked the door open.

Kid entered the house and looked around when suddenly part of the roof came crashing down. Kid turned several cartwheels and did a full length-dive to avoid getting stuck beneath the rubble. When Kid jumped up to her feet again Ace jumped over the flames of the rubble. Kid didn't quite know what to say as she gave him an annoyed look, why did he have to put up a show all the time. "Why…?" Kid just asked peevishly and sustained.

"Had to make sure the marine wouldn't trouble us." Ace said because he was sure Kid was about to nag about what took so long when suddenly he and Kid heard two children cough. Kid turned around and searched with Ace through the thick smoke for the children. "There they are!" Ace said when he spotted one young teenage boy with his younger sister hiding behind the stairs. Ace and Kid ran towards the children "We're here to help you! Is anyone hurt?!" Kid asked while she and Ace approached the stairs and scanned the children for injuries.

"Doesn't look like it.", Ace said in a relived tone after a look at the fine-boned boy and the girl.

"Bring them out of here!" Kid said firmly while she pushed the boy and his little sister into Aces arms, then Kid tore off part of her trousers and tied it around her face to cover her nose and mouth. Kid turned around and left a baffled Ace at the bottom of the stairs. While Kid ran up the stairs Ace could see a bandage attached to her under leg. "What are you up to?" Ace asked half confused half annoyed after he shock his head.

Kid stopped and turned around looking down to Ace and the children, "What do you think I do? I check the other rooms! Now get the kids out already!" Kid commanded in a harsh tone before she continued her way up the stairs.

Ace stuck out his tongue before he turned around and ran towards the rubble, which blocked the doorway. "You'd better close your eyes" Ace said before he concentrated to make sure the flames would surround him like a ball and walked over the rubble trough the flames while the children clung to him.

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><p>After Ace had crossed the rubble and exited the house he lowered the fiery fence which surrounded the house. "My Children!" cried the pharmacist and her husband when they saw their children in Aces' arms.<p>

The children hopped down from Aces' arms to run into their mothers' and fathers' arms. "I'm so glade that you two are save!" cried the mother relived just when a few men with filled buckets in their hands arrived at the square.

"I am actually quite surprised to come across you, Firefist Ace!" Vice Admiral Jonathan said standing next to Ace as the men throw the water into the flaming inferno, but it didn't made much of a different so the men turned around immediately to fetch more water.

Ace looked tensely at Jonathan that was not good now he had to fight Jonathan surrounded by civilians. "Are you surprised? Even though I am from the Navarone base I've still memorized all important wanted posters." Explained Jonathan while the next men arrived with buckets of water (but against that inferno the men with their water buckets had no chance)

"But where is your sister Natalie?!" asked the pharmacist suddenly.

"I couldn't get her anymore… the whole house was suddenly on fire" wiped the boy in tears.

The pharmacist pushed her two children into the arms of their father and stood up ready to run into the burning building but Ace held her back, yet still she tried to free herself to run into her house. "LET ME GO! MY BABY!" screamed the pharmacist but Ace dragged her to the knot of people.

When Ace saw Jonathan look at him with an inexpressive look in his eyes Aces' glance became sinister when he pushed the pharmacist into her husbands arms and let his to a fist clenched hand burst into flames. "Please calm down you and your girlfriend have nothing to worry! In fact I have to thank you for helping us getting this situation under control so we will not arrest you!" explained Jonathan soothingly and saw Ace shaking the flames off his hand. Ace still was wary towards Jonathan even though he had heard good things about him Jonathan still was rankedamongst the highest marines. When a group of marines with buckets arrieved at the scenario Jonathan said: "Lieutenant Gilbert, make sure that your men secure the buildings nearby!"

"We have our hands full by trying to put the fire out, Sir!" tried Gilbert to explain.

"There's no way to put out that fire, it's already out of control." Ace said a bit absently, which caused the pharmacist to sob even heavier.

"All we can do is to secure the surrounding buildings and hope that his girlfriend will secure… Natalie and find a way out." Jonathan said more to the pharmacist and her husband than to the Lieutenant.

"Ay, Ay Sir!" replied Gilbert and told his men to obey the order.

"I'm sure Kid will find your baby!" tried Ace to reassure the family before he added a bit vexed towards Johathan, "but she is not my girlfriend!"

Ace turned away from the family and looked up to a window and thought worriedly: `you have to find the baby and bring both of you out alive…` but then he remembered the other day and added, `And then run back into the building and burn to a crisp.`

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><p>While Ace brought the children to their mother Kid had reached the second floor and kicked in one door after another to check if someone was still in there but there was no trace. Kid ran next to the handrail when she suddenly heard a baby cry. Kid knew where she had to go; she rushed towards the last door as the cries became lauder and lauder. Once Kid had reached the door she opened it and saw a crib standing next to a window from where the cries came. Kid approached the crib and looked at the baby, she uncovered her nose and mouth before she took the baby out of its crib. The baby's face had a red tone as Kid put the babies' head against her shoulder and hummed while she tried to lull the baby in her arms to comfort it. "It'll be okay, you'll be fine, I promise..." Kid said over and over again in a gentle voice while she untied the scrap of cloth around her neck.<p>

When the cries abated Kid tied the scrap of cloth around its face to cover half of its face. Suddenly Kid noticed a crackle of wood from above the door and she turned around to see one ceiling joist in flames. Kid run, but just when she was about to reach the doorway the joist broke and fell down. Kid jumped backwards to avoid the joist and covered her face with her free arm as she turned away from the rising smoke cloud. Kid rocked the baby a bit when it began to get restlessly, then she walked towards the burning joist to try to push it a side but it was no use. When Kid felt a sting at her right hand she pulled her hand back and turned around to search for an idea to get out of this situation. The whole room was already up in flames while smoke clouds moved in the air clouding the rectangular of sunlight. When Kid saw how another joist began to sink right before the window Kid pressed the baby against her breast as she rushed forward. Just before Kid was about to jump out of the window she turned around and pushed herself with her feet up into the air. As Kid broke backwards through the window glass she clung to that baby in her arms, to shelter it from the splinters. The room collapsed just when Kid and the baby were out side in midair falling towards the ground.

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><p>On the other side of the house Ace, Jonathan, the pharmacists' family and a few other people (including the mayor and his daughter) were looking worried at the raging flames.<p>

"Vice Admiral Jonathan!" yelled Lieutenant Gilbert as he ran towards them and Jonathan and the family turned hopefully around while Ace just had turned his head when all the sudden the walls of the burning house came tumbling down. Everyone at the square cringed and stared in horror at the collapsing house while the ground under the building trembled under its weight. Ace looked with a lump in his throat and widened eyes at the tumbling rubble in front of him, he hadn't thought this would take such a scale he had the hope Kid would come around. Jonathan looked sad at the pharmacists' family: the woman screamed in sorrow while her husband and her children clung at her crying. Once the house was demolished it became for a moment silence before Jonathan raised his voice and gave orders to look for survivors. While Ace looked in disbelieve at the rubble a queasy feeling broadened in his stomach, somehow he felt a bit numb and Jonathans' voice sounded far away. `what will Luffy say once he knows that his new crew member was killed by my fire?` Ace could grasp the first complete thought, when he suddenly was jerked along by Jonathan. "What's going on?" asked Ace suddenly.

Jonathan said something about Ace' friend however Ace couldn't really comprehend it while the pharmacist and her family were running ahead. Once the group reached the other side of the house Ace saw a few men staying in a circle who scattered on Jonathans order and the pharmacist towards the middle where the men had stood and fell to her knee while Ace' queasy feeling eased as he heard a baby cry and saw the pharmacists' husband and her two children felt each other into their arms. Ace looked at Kid who was still lying at the ground with closed eyes however no one was paying attention to her: the marines still tried to put out the rubble, the pharmacists' family was occupied by joy and Jonathan was on the Den-Den Mushi yelling orders into it. Ace kneeled beside Kid and waited a moment maybe she would open her eyes from alone. "I hoped you'd get that baby out alive" Ace began to speak but there was no reply, "You really did it in the last second" he continued after a while of silence between them yet Kid remained silence and also didn't opened her eyes.

The queasy feeling began anew to broaden in Ace stomach when he grasped at Kids under arm searching for a pulse, but he couldn't feel it. He then grabbed at Kids face and stretched her chin upwards and started mouth-to-mouth respiration, but before he could start the chest compression Kid woke up and punched him away from her. Kid jumped up to her feet but she still staggered a bit while Ace, who was now lying on the opposite side of where Kid had been lying, still struggled to get up. "Don't you dare to press your filthy mouth ever against mine, you dirty pirate…" snarled Kid gloweringly after she wiped over her mouth with her gloved backhand.

"Ya know you'd rather thank me for saving your life, you damn bitch!" Ace retorted when he had gotten up again, all his gratitude for undoing his mistake was whisked away.

"Thank you for saving my live after I almost got killed because of you!" Kid yelled now but started to cough subsequently, what showed Ace that she still wasn't that well as he had thought, so he wanted to change the topic, which was easily found.

"Listen we don't have time for finger-pointing we need to find Luffy and the others, the marines found their ship." Ace said in a lower voice yet still straindly.

"I'm not finger-pointing that's a fact you asshole!" Kid mumbled angrily before she added a bit less aggressively, "Where do you think Luffy and the others headed to?"

"As far as I know my brother, they're probably eating somewhere." Explained Ace almost thankful but inside he still seethed with rage.

"Well that's great in this town are only a dozen restaurants without including all the pubs at the docks!" Kid nagged further.

Before Ace could even think about what he was saying he already yelled in his rage: „You're such a pain in the ass, your brother's a lucky devil since he doesn't have to deal with you anymore!"

Even before the last words had slipped Aces mouth, Kid had turned around to punch him with a Haki imbedded fist right into his face so that he was flung through the air and crashed against the next wall before he sank to the ground. Ace was holding his bleeding nose when he suddenly realized what he just had said, while he saw Kid looking at him as he had never seen it before; her eyes were filled with pure, unadulterated hatred. Kid had given him some times really invidious glances before but this time it was different, there was nothing but bottomless hatred.

"Don't ever speak about my brother with your foul mouth." Kid hissed filled with pure hatred.

"I… I didn't mean to… I mean I…" Ace stuttered trying to find the words to apologize, speaking about someone's beloved brother like this was something he'd never would have wanted to do.

But instead of going completely nuts Kid suddenly turned away from Ace and walked away.

"Where are you going?" Ace heard himself asking automatically while he stood up.

"Doesn't matter, as long as I don't have to see your face! Tell Luffy that I'm not joining his crew after all." Kid spit across her shoulder giving him another hateful glance before she eventually run off and disappeared into the crowd.

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><p>Hope you liked this super long chapter (Wow 8 pages!); if so please leave a review!<p>

I included my most liked Vice Admiral (even though he's from a Filler Arc I liked him pretty much) however that was a last-minute-decision of mine so I have no idea where I'll go with it so just bear with me.

Now to the bad news: in September I'm in the US visiting my brother, so I won't have time to write.

However I have a question for you guys, in the German version I uploaded many years ago I think I was at the half way point at the end of this chapter (not considering all changes I've done in the English version). Now I already developed an idea for another "Arc" which would tie in pretty good into the Hook-up-time story, so please let me know if I should prolong the fan fiction!


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